Life As We Know It
by WriterGirl516
Summary: As Charlotte & Cooper make preparations to spend their lives together, they are faced with a life-altering challenge sooner than anticipated. **Epilogue posted**
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Life As We Know It

**Author****:** WriterGrl

**E-mail****:**

**Twitter****:** TracyJ516

**Content****:** Charlotte & Cooper, Private Practice

**Premise****:** As Charlotte & Cooper make preparations to spend their lives together, they are faced with a life-altering challenge sooner than anticipated.

**Disclaimers**: I own nothing and borrow lots. All Private Practice characters are property of ABC and Private Practice. All I own is the story I write and any characters that I create. Everything written is purely for fun, creativity and for my imagination.

**Author's note**: This story is completely alternate universe, as in I'm creating my own canon. I want to do something different from all the recovery stories that are out there right now.

**Feedback:** Authors like to hear what readers have to say.

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_**Life As We Know It**_

_**Chapter 1**_

Cooper walked into Violet's office, stopping a few feet from her desk. "I want to get married," he blurted out.

Violet looked up from her computer screen with an eyebrow raised and smirked. "Sure, but I know two people that may have a problem with that."

"Ha. Funny," he sat down on the couch, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, have you and Charlotte talked about setting a date?"

"Not really. There's never been a good time," he replied.

Violet's brow furrowed. "Didn't the two of you just get back from a trip to Alabama? I figured with all the time you spent together, setting a wedding date would have been something that would come up while you were there."

"It never did. Don't get me wrong, we had a great time and all," Cooper smiled, thinking back to how much he enjoyed the trip. "I guess it's just something I thought would casually bring itself up, you know?"

"And now the both of you are back and super busy."

"Yeah. Charlotte's stuck at St. Ambrose all day and probably will get home late. She mentioned something about having to fix a mess or two that happened while we were away."

Violet smiled and was amused at how head over heels her close friend was for Charlotte. Make no mistake, she disliked the blonde doctor at first, thinking of her as the medical professional equivalent to Cruella de Ville and wasn't deserving of Cooper, who was the complete opposite in terms of personality. But over time, Violet grew to like Charlotte and understand why she was the way she was. And deep down, she knew that somewhere inside was a warm heart that was guarded by a tough exterior that only Cooper could get past.

"Well, I really don't know what to tell you," she said.

Cooper nodded and smiled back. "It's okay. I wasn't expecting any advice. I just needed to get it out," he stood up. "I should go. I've got a few more patients and then maybe I'll go and surprise Charlotte with some dinner. Thanks for listening, Vi."

"Anytime," Violet waved, watching Cooper leave her office.

* * *

Charlotte sighed deeply staring at the stack of paperwork in front of her. She and Cooper had only been gone for five days and it amazed her how it all piled up. After spending a good portion of the day getting up to speed on what she'd missed and also being on the phone following up on her rescheduled appointments.

It was nearly seven-thirty when Charlotte finally got started on the stack of paperwork. She heard a knock at the door and looked up, "Yeah?"

The door slowly opened, Cooper sticking his head inside. "Hi. I figured you'd be working late, so I brought dinner," he held up a paper bag. "Chinese?"

Charlotte smiled, motioning for him to come inside. "Bring it here. I'm famished."

Cooper entered, carefully shutting the door behind him. He placed the paper bag on the desk, taking its contents out and placing it in front of Charlotte. Sitting down across from her, he handed the blonde a paper plate, a fork and some napkins.

Charlotte didn't wait and immediately opened one of the containers to reveal General Tso's chicken, while the other container had fried rice. Cooper placed a good amount of both on her plate and she quickly dug in.

"Well, someone is hungry," Cooper commented, putting a forkful of rice into his mouth.

"I told you I was famished," Charlotte replied, taking another bite of chicken. "I barely had anythin' for lunch, 'cause I was so busy."

Cooper sipped his soda. "Looks like you barely made a dent," eyeing the stack of paperwork. "Are you going to be long?"

Charlotte followed Cooper's gaze and was reminded that her day was nowhere near done. Truthfully, she was exhausted and didn't want to stay and do paperwork. But a part of her didn't want to leave it all to get done the next day. "Not too long. I want to get started on some of this stuff and I'll just finish it up tomorrow," she replied, satisfied with the inner compromise. "You wanna wait?"

"Sure," he nodded, reaching for the container of fried rice.

They continued with their usual dinner banter, sharing the happenings of their respective days. Cooper filled Charlotte in on what they'd missed at Oceanside, while Charlotte vented about a couple of issues that occurred while they were away.

While Cooper was cleaning up, Charlotte got a start on the stack of paperwork, reminding herself that there wasn't a pressing need to get it done that night. But Charlotte being the way she was had gotten so engrossed in what she was doing and lost track of time, finishing everything anyway. Of course, it also could have been because Cooper had dozed off on her couch, leaving her with the peace and quiet she'd been seeking since arriving in the morning.

Neatly piling everything off to the corner of her desk, Charlotte logged off her computer and reached for her bag. She walked around the desk and toward Cooper, bending down to press a kiss on his forehead.

"Hey," she said softly, rousing the man from his sleep. "Let's go home."

"Huhmm?" Cooper's eyes slowly opened. He sat up and tried to glance at the clock on the wall. "What time is it?"

"A little past ten," Charlotte held out her hand to him. "Come on. Where are your keys? I'll drive."

Cooper reached into his pocket, handing the blonde his car keys. Wrapping an arm around her waist, they walked out of her office, shutting the door closed behind them.

They got home in a reasonable amount of time, Charlotte chuckling softly to herself the whole way while Cooper slept in the passenger seat. She surmised the guy had a long day at the practice. Either that or his body was having a wicked time getting adjusted back to being on West coast time, after being in Alabama.

Once again, she roused him awake and he in turn apologized for being a lump for most of the evening. They walked hand in hand into the loft, Cooper making a beeline for the bathroom after getting inside.

"Someone seems mighty exhausted," Charlotte commented, kicking off her heels and placing them inside the closet.

"I think it was the Chinese that put me into a food coma," Cooper replied, exiting the bathroom completely changed with his dirty laundry in his hands. He dropped it into the hamper and sat on the bed.

"I pretty much figured that," Charlotte entered the bathroom and came back out a few minutes later, dressed and ready for bed. She climbed in next to Cooper and laid back against the pillows. "It's okay though. I got through that pile of paperwork that was on my desk."

"I figured you would," Cooper reached over to turn off the light on his side of the bed. He then leaned toward Charlotte and kissed her. "Good night."

"Night," she smiled back.

Now wide awake, Cooper laid there in silence for the next few minutes, unable to fall back asleep. He turned to his side and stared at Charlotte, slightly smiling at her.

"You know how I find it creepy when you do that," Charlotte spoke, eyes still closed. "Quit starin' at me."

"Sorry. I couldn't help it."

"Yeah, I know."

After a minute, Charlotte opened her eyes and turned to Cooper who was lying on his back, still awake. "What's the matter? Can't sleep after the nap you had earlier?"

"Probably," Cooper replied.

Charlotte smirked. "Wanna get busy then?" she grabbed his t-shirt, ready to pull it off when his hand stopped her. "What? You don't want any?"

"Not tonight," he replied with a straight face.

Brow furrowed, Charlotte pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "You're turnin' down sex? You don't seem warm."

Cooper took hold of the blonde's hand, pressing his lips to it. "I'm fine. I was just laying here thinking about something."

"Oh? Well, hope you're not hurtin' yourself," she laughed, propping herself up and resting her head on her hand. "So? Spill… whatcha thinkin' about?"

Cooper smiled. "I was wondering when we'd tossing around some possible wedding dates. I mean, it doesn't have to be anytime soon, but I was thinking that maybe we could set a date… have something to work towards, you know?" he said, entwining his fingers with hers. "Just a thought."

Charlotte didn't reply for a few seconds, then finally met his loving gaze with a smile of her own. "You're right, we should."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

Cooper leaned into Charlotte, kissing her deeply. "I was thinking sometime in the fall. Not too warm."

"Fall sounds good," Charlotte yawned, realizing she was more exhausted then she thought. "I'm thinking late September. A Saturday…sunset."

"Alright, last Saturday in September it is. I'll mark the date in a calendar in the morning," Cooper made a mental note to himself to put the date down tomorrow when he got into his office.

Charlotte yawned again, trying to fight off the beckoning slumber. "Great, now let's get some sleep. I tired and wasn't as fortunate as you to have taken a nap a couple of hours ago."

Cooper turned in bed, draping an arm over Charlotte's waist. "Good night again."

"G'night…" Charlotte muttered, drifting off to sleep within minutes.

Unable to fall asleep just yet, Cooper remained awake for a little while longer, proud of himself at how easy it was to get his fiancée to agree on setting a wedding date. Albeit, he had some worries, considering the subject hadn't been brought up, but after the wonderful time they had in Monroeville, he figured it was time they made their union official. With a smile on his face, he closed his eyes.

After years of a rocky courtship, he was convinced nothing would stand in their way.

~end chapter


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Cooper whistled to himself as he entered the kitchen at Oceanside Wellness. He grabbed a mug out of the cabinet and poured himself some coffee, still whistling. After the wonderful night of sleep he had and the talk with Charlotte, he was determined not to let anything ruin his day.

"Someone is chipper this morning," Sam commented upon entering the kitchen. He grabbed the carton of juice from inside the fridge and poured some into a glass. Taking a sip, he looked at Cooper. "So, are you going to share what the reason is for your delightful mood?"

The pediatrician didn't reply for a few seconds and then proceeded to smile at Sam. "Charlotte and I finally set a wedding date."

"Oh? That's great!" Sam patted his friend on the back.

"Yeah," Cooper nodded. "She and I talked about it last night and it's finally set. We've got something to work towards."

"Something to work towards?" another voice in the room said. Both men turned to find Violet standing on the other side of the island. She eyed Sam and then Cooper, noticing the smile on his face. "Oh my God, there's a date. There's finally a date."

Cooper grinned at his best friend, taking another sip of coffee and swallowing. "Yep, a date. We're looking at the last weekend on September."

"Early fall… pretty," Violet replied.

"Yep," he checked his watch. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a patient coming in a few minutes."

Sam and Violet watched Cooper exit the kitchen and walk gleefully down the corridor to his office. They looked at each other for a second and laughed.

"He's amusing when he's giddy," Sam commented.

Violet continued to laugh, nodding in agreement. "You'd think he was the excited bride. But that's Cooper for you. And after seeing the ups and downs he and Charlotte have gone through, setting a date for their wedding is well, huge for him."

"He deserves it," Sam agreed.

Charlotte sat in her office, staring at her engagement ring. She couldn't help looking at it and the way it shined when the sun hit it from a certain angle. Some moments, it would shine so bright that anyone could notice it from across the room. She loved how it conveyed so clearly to other men that she was taken…off the market, officially unavailable.

Her mind drifted to last night and the conversation she had with Cooper. Reaching for the calendar, she flipped to the month of September, marking the last Saturday with a red pen. Cooper and her had set a date, a wedding date…a date when she'd be walking down the aisle where he would be waiting for her at the end of it.

It made sense that they set a date for their wedding. Given the fact they were engaged for a while now, it was time for them to make it official. Albeit, the thought of picking a wedding date had crossed her mind every now and then, but a part of her had always put it off, figuring they'd talk about it when the time was right.

It was then when Charlotte realized what had prompted Cooper to bring up the subject. She thought back to their trip to Monroeville and the time spent with her brothers and their families. She remembered watching him play with her nieces and nephews, rolling around in the grass with them, playing tag and lending a helping hand with their pets that roamed the grounds. She realized Cooper wanted that for the both of them, a life together and a family.

A knock at the door brought Charlotte back to the present, interrupting her quiet reverie. "Come in," she said, looking up to find Naomi at the door. "Hey," motioning her colleague to step inside and sit down. "What's goin' on?"

"Not much," Naomi sat down across from the blonde. "I was here checking on a patient who was admitted yesterday. Thought I'd come by and say hello. I didn't see you at the practice."

"I've been here catchin' up on things," Charlotte replied. "I'll be back at Oceanside hopefully by the end of the week, as long as nothin' else goes to hell in a handbasket."

Naomi smiled. "I have no idea how you do it. I have enough trouble making sure things run smoothly at the practice."

"Believe me, runnin' this hospital is no easy task," Charlotte sat back in her chair. "It may look like it, but there are some days where I just wanna pull my hair out."

"Well, you do a good job at keeping yourself together."

"Thank you. I like to think that's one of my better qualities."

"So…" Naomi drawled. "I heard something about a wedding in late September?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Cooper spread the wonderful news already?"

"I heard from Sam and Violet," Naomi laughed, already aware of the blonde's slight disdain for how fast news spreads at the practice. "And well… Cooper's been smiling all day."

"I figured as much," the blonde replied, stealing a quick glance at her engagement ring. She met the other doctor's gaze and smiled. "Yeah, end of September sounds about right."

"Charlotte King…settling down. Who would have ever thought," Naomi commented, earning another eye roll from the blonde sitting across from her.

"Stranger things have happened."

"I'm happy for you…for you and Cooper."

"Thank you."

"Will Violet be your wedding planner?" Naomi asked, albeit partly in a joking way and perhaps serious too. "I mean, she did a great job with Maya's wedding."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, casting a sarcastic gaze at the other doctor, who she now considered somewhat of a close friend. "You're joking right?"

"Hmm…yes and no," Naomi shrugged. "Just a suggestion. I know you're not at the stage of planning yet, but I wanted to toss the idea out there. I know you're not one to ask for help, but it's something to take into consideration."

"Noted," Charlotte nodded.

Before Naomi could continue the conversation, Charlotte was paged, pulling her away from what would end up being one of the few times she was able to sit down for an extended period of time. She spent the remainder of the day being pulled in all different directions, dealing with other doctors, families and various administrative issues at St. Ambrose.

It was almost eight in the evening when Charlotte made it back to her office, feeling mentally exhausted, if not more than the night before. She was tempted to sit down for a moment to catch her breath, but decided not to for fear she may not want to get up. After shutting down her computer, she grabbed her purse, bag and car keys, and walked out of her office.

Charlotte arrived back to the loft in record time, walking in the door to find dinner ready and waiting for her. Closing the door behind her, she smiled and spotted Cooper coming out of the bedroom. "Just what I needed," she said, dropping her keys into the dish and kicking off her heels. "Once again, I am tired and hungry."

"Eat up," Cooper motioned toward the table, pulling a chair out for her.

"Thanks, I will," Charlotte sat down and draped the napkin on her lap. She wasted no time, immediately grabbing the fork and knife, and attacking her food.

Cooper sat across from her, trying to stifle a smile but was unsuccessful. He began eating, all the while observing his fiancée who was halfway done with her food before he could even make a dent in the food on his plate.

"I take it you skipped a meal today?" he asked.

Charlotte stopped for a moment, meeting Cooper's gaze. "That obvious, huh?"

"Just a little."

"I had a salad, but I guess it wasn't enough."

Cooper swallowed his food and took a sip of his drink. "I know you have a busy day, but you have to make time to eat."

"Yeah, I know. It's just the last two days have been hectic," she explained but agreed that he had a point.

"Well, maybe tomorrow things will be less hectic," Cooper commented, hoping he would be right. "If you want, I can drop by with some lunch. I don't have any patients between 12 and 2."

Charlotte nodded. "Sure, I'd like that."

After dinner, Cooper shooed Charlotte away from the kitchen, telling her that he'd take care of cleaning things up and that she should go and relax. She obliged him, heading into the bathroom and beginning her nighttime routine. Twenty minutes later, she was ready for bed and climbed in, sitting against the pillows with a book in her lap.

Cooper joined her a short while later, his breath minty from brushing his teeth. "You staying up for a bit longer?"

"Gimme a few minutes, I'll be done with this chapter and then I'm goin' to sleep," Charlotte replied, keeping her eyes on the page.

"Okay," he shifted to his side and turned off his bedside lamp. He laid back against the pillows, folding his hands over his stomach.

As promised, a few minutes later, Charlotte closed her book and set it on the bedside table. She turned off the lamp on her side of the bed and then moved closer to Cooper, taking his hand into hers. "So, I hear everyone at the practice knows when we're gettin' married."

"Yep," he nodded. "I hope you're not mad that I told Sam and Violet. I was a bit giddy this morning."

"It's okay," she rested her head against his shoulder. "Naomi came by the hospital and we got to talkin'. Plus I figured everyone would find out, seein' as how nothing ever stays a secret there. She even suggested we ask Violet to help plan."

Cooper laughed. "Really? I bet you were thrilled with the suggestion."

"Ha. I tossed Naomi a very sarcastic look. But I said I'd consider the idea," Charlotte said, knowing that it wasn't a response Cooper expected to hear. She felt him turn to his side, eyeing her suspiciously. "What?"

"Are you saying you'd let Violet, my best friend Violet…the Violet you're mean to most of the time… You'd let her help plan our wedding?" he rambled.

Charlotte met his gaze with a somewhat stern look of her own. "Now I didn't say yes. I said I'd consider the idea. There's a difference," she emphasized. "Besides, I know you'd probably entertain the idea if we did need some help."

"Only if you want to," Cooper replied.

"Well, I'm not sayin' yes, but I'm not sayin' no either."

"Okay."

Charlotte yawned. "Now let's get some sleep. I've got another long day tomorrow," she kissed him deeply. "Good night."

"Good night," he settled in bed, wrapping an arm around the blonde.

Both Cooper and Charlotte surrendered to sleep almost immediately, especially Charlotte who was tired from the second consecutive busy day of work. Exhaustion was also probably the reason why she didn't hear her cell phone ringing on the bedside table ringing an hour later.

"Charlotte…" Cooper muttered, lightly nudging her awake so she could silence the offending object. "Charlotte, your phone…"

"What?" Charlotte slowly opened eyes. It took her a few seconds to realize her cell phone was ringing. She reached for it and saw the caller ID. "Duke, I know I'm two hours behind you, but what in God's name has you callin' at this ungodly hour for you?" She waited for her younger brother to explain himself.

Suddenly, Charlotte found herself wide-awake and sitting up in bed, jarred by what Duke had just told her. "No, not Landry. Are you sure?" she choked back a small sob. "Fine, okay. Yes, we'll try and get the first flight out. Okay… yes… bye."

Cooper turned over in bed, somewhat awake after hearing Charlotte's conversation with her brother. "Why did Duke call?"

Charlotte finally exhaled a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "It's Landry," she stared straight ahead, eyes brimming with moisture. "There was an accident."

~end chapter


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:** Just to preface this chapter, I am aware that Charlotte is written as a strong, confident woman who doesn't take anyone's crap. And that's what we all love about her. But there are times when a character's best characteristics have to be stripped a little bit when faced with a situation, such as what we will see in this chapter. So please keep in mind that characters are not meant to be static as they react to what is going on around them. With that said, enjoy the chapter and thanks to my beta for the feedback. _

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**Chapter 3**

Charlotte King wasn't someone who liked showing emotion. She was headstrong, confident and had a tendency to never show weakness, despite the challenges in front of her. It was how she got people to respect her and take her seriously. It was how she became the woman she was today.

But today, Charlotte was not a strong, confident woman. Despite trying to maintain that façade, inside she was crumbling, her emotions were raw and her heart ached. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her tired reflection as she tried to fix her hair. For the past ten minutes, she had tried to put it up but was unsuccessful each time, getting more and more annoyed by the second. Sighing deeply, she gave up and slammed the comb onto the dresser, fighting back the moisture that was brimming in the corners of her eyes.

Charlotte still couldn't believe it. Landry, her younger brother was gone. What made it even harder to believe was that she'd just seen him few days ago, having said goodbye after spending a week in Monroeville to celebrate the birthday of his son. She remembered the smiles and the laughs they shared, the joy and the fun. Most of all, she remembered the long talk she had with him and Duke, at how they vowed to be more involved with each other's lives and not let distance keep them from having a close family relationship.

And now here she was, back at the family estate, getting ready to lay Landry to rest.

Charlotte stepped back from the dresser, deciding that it was no use to keep trying with her hair. She sat at the edge of the bed, her downcast gaze falling to the floor and wondered how she would get through the morning. It was almost nine o'clock and the services were set to start at ten.

Lifting her gaze, she found herself looking around the room, her eyes landing on a photograph from her childhood. It was a picture of her with Duke and Landry. Charlotte stood in the middle, with both boys flanking at her sides. They were smiling, Duke holding a fishing rod while Landry and Charlotte were holding up a fish they had caught. The photo brought back the vivid memory for Charlotte, causing her to smile slightly.

Cooper gently pushed the door open and saw Charlotte sitting at the end of the bed, gazing toward the wall. He followed her line of vision and noticed the photo. "How old were you in that picture?"

"About ten or eleven," Charlotte replied, still staring at the picture. "Duke was teaching Landry how to fish. Big Daddy didn't want to buy all of us fishing rods, so Duke said he'd let us use his," she smiled a little, remembering that day. "Landry couldn't get the fish to bite the hook but I caught one on my first try. I still remember the look on Landry's face. He was so mad that his sister was showin' him up."

"I'd probably be the same way if I had a sister who was better than me at certain things," Cooper replied. He continued to eye the photo. "I didn't realize Landry was a skinny kid."

Charlotte chuckled softly. "He was pretty scrawny. Big Daddy used to think he'd never grow. Then one year, he went and shot up like a weed. Left me behind as the short one."

"Nah, you're not short. You're just petite."

"Thanks."

The blonde finally turned to him after a moment and met his gaze. His heart ached when he saw the forlorn look on her face. He could tell she'd been crying earlier, when no one was around. Cooper reached for Charlotte's hand, fingers entwining with hers. "We should go. The cars are waiting downstairs for everyone."

Charlotte stood up, still holding Cooper's hand and left the bedroom. They walked down the steps in silence, Cooper holding her hand the whole way. It wasn't until the reached the doorway when Charlotte stopped, unable to step out the door.

"Sweetie?" Cooper looked back at her.

"Coop, I don't know if I can do this," Charlotte shook her head. For the first time in a long time, the blonde was showing weakness.

Cooper held out his hand. "Yes you can. I'll be by your side the whole time. I'm not going to let you fall."

Charlotte took a deep breath, straightening her posture. She reached for Cooper's hand, stepped out the front door and walked toward the car. Getting inside, they sat in the backseat, Charlotte holding her fiancée's hand the whole way to the church.

Cooper remained true to his word, never leaving Charlotte's side. Sitting with the rest of the King family in the church, he held her hand throughout the service. Periodically, he'd glance sideways at her noticing the moisture brimming in her eyes, but never allowing the tears to fall. Sitting there, he wished Charlotte would let herself cry but knew she wouldn't. He knew she'd never let herself show any emotion in public.

Duke gave the eulogy, speaking for the family, as Charlotte turned down any requests for her to speak at the service. In turn, he was speaking on behalf of Charlotte and their mother. Cooper took a quick look down to the end of the row, where he saw Mrs. King dabbing a handkerchief to her eyes. It was the first time he saw the matriarch out of her room and then thought it'd probably be the only time he'd see her during this visit.

"Before I conclude, I'd like to ask if my sister Charlotte wants to add anything," Duke turned his gaze to the blonde.

Charlotte's posture stiffened. She hated being put on the spot like this, especially when everyone was now focusing their attention on her.

"You can do this," Cooper whispered.

"I can't…" her voice trembled slightly.

Cooper squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Yes you can. Just look at me. I'll be right here."

Charlotte took a deep breath, stood up slowly and straightened her dress. She walked up to the lectern, looking back at Cooper as she cleared her throat. "I um… I really didn't have anythin' prepared since Duke was speakin' for the family. But now I'm here and I…" she took a quick glance at the casket then looked back at everyone. She took a few seconds to compose herself before speaking again. "You know, not many people know this except for Duke and myself, but Landry was a brat." Everyone chuckled, giving her the confidence to continue. "Only reason why I'm sayin' is because he just couldn't stop followin' us around and wantin' to get his way. But I guess that's what little brothers are supposed to do aside from rattin' us out to Big Daddy."

She turned her gaze toward Duke. "As I was gettin' ready this morning, I found myself lookin' at a photo of three of us when we were kids. It was when we went fishing and I still remember how you let us use your rod, Duke. Landry was eight years old, I was ten and you were nine. I'll never forget how frustrated he was when he couldn't catch a fish," she said smiling at Duke, who was smiling back at her, as they recalled the memory.

"Landry spent a good hour arguing with Duke, sayin' that they needed to find different worms. So Duke, being the good big brother to Landry obliged and got him another worm. Only thing is, Landry hated puttin' the bait on the hook so then he'd come runnin' to me, askin' his big sis to do it for him. Too bad I was the one who ended up catchin' a fish that day. I still remember how mad he was at me. But the one thing I never forgot was how he came to my room before we went to bed, thankin' me for helpin' him with the worm," she laughed a little at the memory, her chest tightening at the same time. "He always did come runnin' to us when he needed help, but that's what I always loved about Landry. He was never ashamed to ask for help and never hesitated helpin' others, because the little brother who I called a brat turned out to be a good man."

Charlotte paused for a few seconds and sought out Cooper's supportive gaze. "A few weeks ago, I was sittin' in my office and my phone rang. It was Landry. At first, I thought he was callin' because he needed something. He always did because I was the one he always depended on. Turns out, Landry called asking me to come home for a few days because his baby boy was turnin' a year old and he wanted me to be there for the celebration. We got to talkin' and Landry just sounded so excited and despite being the busy doctor that I am, somethin' in me told me that I couldn't turn him down. And well, I'm glad I didn't because it allowed me to spend time with my brother and realize how much I had missed him. And now that God's called him home, I'm going to miss him forever."

A tear escaped and fell down Charlotte's cheek. "Landry always had a saying and it drove me crazy when he'd repeat it over and over. Whenever we faced a challenge in our lives, he always said that we should keep moving forward. Landry wouldn't want us to dwell in sadness today, but to keep moving forward with our lives. So today, as we all say goodbye to him, we should move forward with our lives because it's what he'd want us to do," she wiped her cheek. "Thank you."

Charlotte walked back towards the first row and went straight into Cooper's arms. She leaned her head on his shoulder, searching for his hand, taking hold of it and never letting go. She'd remain that way for the rest of the service and the burial. Afterwards, they returned to the King estate, along with everyone else but she didn't say a word since speaking at the service.

Aside from saying 'thank you' and accepting everyone's condolences, Charlotte managed to keep a strong façade up for the duration of the day. Luckily for her, Duke shouldered most of the duties at the reception, speaking with everyone who attended. Their mother unfortunately, had retreated to her room not long after arriving home, most likely finding comfort in alcohol.

The guests were finally gone by early evening, allowing Charlotte to breathe a little easier. She walked down the long hall and found Duke sitting in their father's study, glass of brandy in hand. He looked up at her and nodded, acknowledging her presence.

"Hey," Charlotte said, entering the room. She sat down on the leather couch, running her hand across the somewhat smooth surface. "I just wanted to say thank you."

Duke to a sip of brandy and swallowed. "No need to thank me. I jus' didn't want you regrettin' not sayin' anything, you know?"

"Yeah…"

They sat in silence for a moment, Duke taking another sip. Charlotte eyed the alcohol on the tray, contemplating the thought of joining her brother with a drink but decided against it. The last thing she needed to do was to numb the grief.

"I completely forgot about the fishin' story," Duke finally spoke. He was smiling, recalling the memory. "He was quite the brat that day, tellin' me how I wasn't a fishin' expert and that we should go and get Big Daddy to tell us the right way of doin' things."

"A brat that turned into a fine man," Charlotte commented. "Gone too soon…both he and Shelley."

Duke stared straight ahead. "They say everythin' happens for a reason. Ever since the accident, I haven't figured out what the reason is for takin' our brother and his wife away from us. Takin' the only parents little Zane will have."

Charlotte gasped. "Oh God, what's going to happen with Zane?"

"I'm supposin' we'll be findin' that out tomorrow when the lawyer comes by with Landry's will."

"You're kiddin' me. Landry had his will drawn up already? I haven't even put any thought to somethin' like that."

Duke nodded. "Did it after Zane was born. Guess he wanted to make sure his affairs were in order in case anything should happen."

Charlotte sat back. "Well, can't say he wasn't prepared," she replied. "What time is the lawyer supposed to be comin' by?"

"Noon, I think. You'll be here for another day or two, yes?"

"Yes. But if you need me to stay longer, I can arrange it. Cooper may have to fly back though."

Duke smiled. "That Cooper, he's a good man. You two should make things official."

"Well, since you mention it, the ceremony is at the end of September," Charlotte said, smiling for the first time today. "I trust that you'll be there. You, Daisy and the kids."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Lottie," Duke assured.

Lottie. Charlotte hadn't heard that nickname in a long while. In fact, the last time she heard it was when they were teenagers. "Wow, talk about a blast from the past."

"What? Me callin' you Lottie? You know it's my nickname for you."

"Yeah I know. It's just that I haven't heard it in years. It um… it brings back memories, that's all," Charlotte felt tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. "Goddamnit Duke, you're makin' me cry and I don't want to cry."

Duke moved from his chair and went to Charlotte. He draped an arm over her shoulder. "Now come on Lottie. I know you like being the tough girl and all, but it's okay to cry. Big Daddy ain't gonna think less of you from up there," he said, pointing to the ceiling. "He's got Landry with him now to rag on."

Charlotte laughed. Her brother sure had a way with trying to brighten up a mood from one second to another. "I forgot how wicked your humor is."

"That's what makes us Kings unique," Duke replied, pushing a lock of blonde hair away from his sister's face. "You're the strong one. The one that takes no crap. Me, I'm the smart one," earning a light nudge in the ribs from Charlotte. "Oof… okay, fine. I'm the jokester. But you have to give me credit, I am smart, considerin' how well I run Big Daddy's business."

"Fine, I'll give you that," Charlotte conceded, then yawned. She looked at the clock and sighed. "It's only eight and I'm dead tired."

Duke got up, pouring some water into his empty glass. "It's been a long day. Why don't you head off and be with that fiancée of yours. I'm sure Cooper's feelin' a lil' lonely right now."

Heeding her brother's suggestion, Charlotte stood up from the couch. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night, Duke."

"Night Lottie. Sleep well."

Charlotte made her way back up the steps and walked toward the bedroom, where she found Cooper sitting on the bed with a laptop open. He looked up from the screen and smiled at her.

"Have a good talk with your brother?" Cooper asked. He closed the laptop, setting it on the bedside table.

Charlotte said down next to him. "Yeah. He and I have a meetin' with Landry's lawyer tomorrow. Apparently, he's comin' by with Landry's will."

"Okay. Is there anything you need me to do tomorrow?"

"Nothin' really. I feel bad that you're here havin' to sit idle while I take care of things."

Cooper smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't. I want to be here with you," he leaned over, cupping the blonde's face. "I want to be here _for_ you."

"Thank you," Charlotte said lovingly.

"Besides, who else will keep the kids occupied while you and Duke meet with the lawyer? I'll officially be their Uncle Cooper by year's end, so why not spend time with them now."

The blonde laughed. "Duke's kids adore you, all three of them. And it's because you're the only one willin' to roll around in the dirt with them."

"What can I say, I'm just a big kid sometimes," Cooper replied. He noticed how the look on Charlotte's face quickly changed, the smile that was there had disappeared. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Charlotte sighed. "I was just thinkin' about Landry's son. Zane is never goin' to get to know his dad and the man that he was."

Cooper reached over and pulled Charlotte into his arms. His kissed her cheek. "Zane will know who his dad was because you and Duke will tell him stories. That's how he'll get to know his father."

They would remain in that position for several moments before Charlotte moved from Cooper's embrace, deciding it was time to get ready for bed. After the long day they had, she wanted nothing more than to get some sleep, as it was time to move forward with life and face the next day.

* * *

Charlotte stood in her father's study, waiting for Duke to arrive with Landry's attorney. Part of her wished she was with Cooper, who was roaming somewhere on the grounds, most likely by the stables. It wasn't noon yet, but Charlotte was beginning to feel a little antsy, which of course unnerved her. She was never antsy, but given the circumstances as of late, it made sense with the change in her demeanor.

Hearing footsteps and conversation approaching the study, Charlotte turned and saw Duke enter with someone about their age walking beside him. Both men came up to Charlotte, Duke introducing her to the man she surmised was Landry's lawyer.

"Charlotte, this is Travis Rogers."

"Travis Rogers?" Charlotte's brow furrowed, recognizing the name. "Wait…didn't you go to school with Landry?"

Travis nodded. "You are correct," he held out his hand to the blonde, shaking hers firmly. "As I told Duke, I'm very sorry for your loss. Landry was a great man. His wife Shelley was a sweetheart."

"Thank you," Charlotte appreciated the sentiment. She motioned toward the couches, "Shall we get started?"

All three sat down, Duke sitting next to Charlotte, while Travis sat across from them. He took out a brown manila envelope from his briefcase, removing Landry's will from inside. Duke and Charlotte eyed Travis intently, both wondering what the documents said.

"Now, as you both know, Landry was an attorney himself, but he wanted me to handle all of his legal matters should there be…" he paused, holding the will in his hands. "Well, you know. So I guess I should get to readin' this."

Duke and Charlotte watched Travis unfold the document, both taking a deep breath.

"To my brother and sister, Duke and Charlotte, I leave my home and all monies Shelley and I have saved," Travis read. "I also designate Duke as Chief Trustee of my law practice, deeming him responsible for management and all financial matters."

Duke's brow furrowed. "He's leaving me his law practice? I don't know a thing about lawyerin'."

"He was well aware of that, which is why he named you Chief Trustee. Your main responsibilities are to make sure business runs smoothly. His partners are the ones who will keep the practice afloat," Travis explained. "All you'd need to do is have them keep you posted on things, like the logistical stuff."

Charlotte nodded. "So it's pretty straightforward, Landry left us everything he had and nothin' for Momma."

"Well, he set up a financial account for your mother," Travis added. "He didn't want to burden either of you with any more responsibilities than what you already have, so he designated me as the person to disburse monies to her once a month for well, living expenses and such."

"Leave it to Landry to be prepared," Charlotte chuckled. It was typical of her brother to do such a thing, making sure their Momma was taken care of. She then wondered what would happen to Landry's son, as nothing was mentioned about him yet. "Travis, what about Zane? Did Landry put any provisions in there for his son?"

Travis smiled. "Ah, I was just getting' to that," he flipped the page, revealing a second page to the will. "With regards to guardianship of my son, Zane Nicholas King. I name my sister, Charlotte King, sole guardian of the minor child, effective immediately upon the unfortunate event of the death of myself and my wife."

Charlotte gasped. She shook her head, unable to believe what she just heard. "I'm sorry. Mind repeatin' that again?"

"Sure," Travis reread what was stated in Landry's will. "With regards to guardianship of my son, Zane Nicholas King. I name my sister, Charlotte King, sole guardian of the minor child, effective immediately upon the unfortunate event of the death of myself and my wife."

"This can't be," Charlotte said, still finding it hard to believe. "Landry must have lost his marbles when he drew that provision up. He wants me to raise his son?" she reached over, motioning for Travis to hand the will to her. "Let me see that."

Travis obliged, giving the document to the blonde. "I assure you, this is what he wanted. Given how Duke already has three young kids of his own, he didn't want to add another to his brood. So, he felt you would be the next best person to raise his son."

Charlotte held Landry's will in her hands, reading and rereading what it said. After a moment, she handed it back to Travis. "Says there, he's set up a trust fund for Zane."

"Yes, he did," Travis nodded. "Landry wanted to make sure his son was set up financially until the age of 21. You'd be the trustee to that fund, of course, as Zane is a minor."

Charlotte sat there for a moment, hands folded in her lap not saying anything.

Duke became concerned after a few seconds, turning to look at his sister. "Lottie?" he watched her stand up and walk toward the terrace doors. "Lottie, where are you going?"

"I just need a moment. I'm goin' to get some air," Charlotte replied, opening the terrace doors and stepping outside.

~end chapter


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks for the feedback. I hope to update at least once a week, most likely on the weekends. This is going to be a journey of sorts for Charlotte and Cooper. So I hope you all bear with me, as we move along._

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_Last we left our favorite characters... Charlotte had just been given an unexpected surprise..._

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_**Chapter 4**

Travis and Duke observed Charlotte through the terrace doors. They had been watching her for the past ten minutes, wondering when she'd come back inside.

"I can tell she wasn't expecting this," Travis commented.

Duke shook his head. "Not at all. But you know, I'm not surprised that Landry did this," he turned to Travis. "He always known deep inside, Charlotte's got the motherin' instinct in her. Hell, she was the one who took care of Landry and me growin' up."

"Well, she doesn't seem so thrilled about the news right now."

"I'd give her time. She's still trying to process everything. Landry did right by naming Charlotte as Zane's guardian. My nephew will be well taken care of."

"We've still got some things to talk about regarding Landry's son. But it can wait until tomorrow. I'll let your sister absorb all of this news," Travis picked up an envelope and brought it over to Duke. "Landry also left this for Charlotte. I don't know if he had some eerie premonition or somethin', but he came by my office about a month ago and dropped it off. Said she should get this too, in the event of his death."

* * *

Charlotte stood on the terrace, hands pressed against the railing. She looked out at the open area, her mind still trying to process everything. Landry had entrusted her with the responsibility of raising his son.

Before this afternoon, she had thought the reading of Landry's will would only involve dividing his assets, but that wasn't all. His will included passing on responsibilities, the most important one of all having to do with raising Zane. It was one she wasn't expecting, let alone ready for.

All of her life, she never had a female role model to look up to. Her mother used alcohol and drugs as an escape, diving into the bottle daily and leaving her children to fend for themselves. Albeit, the hired help at the King household had in part been tasked with the responsibility of making sure the children were taken care of, but not once did Charlotte ever see her mother really take on the responsibility of being a parent.

Perhaps her mother did at some point, maybe cared that she had children, but Charlotte figured she was too young to remember. And now here she was, someone who has been put in charge of raising a child when she hadn't the slightest idea where to start. It was funny in a way, as Charlotte knew how to do everything else in life successfully, like being a doctor and running a hospital. But when it came to kids, that was a different story altogether.

"Lottie?" Duke spoke from behind. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Charlotte replied. She saw Duke walk toward her. "I still think Landry was three-sheets to the wind when he had that provision drawn up in his will. Were you aware of this? I mean, did he even talk to you about it?"

Duke shook his head in disagreement. "No, he didn't. I'm as surprised as you are, but I believe he knew what he was doin'. Here," he handed the envelope to his sister. "Travis said this was for you."

Charlotte carefully opened the envelope, revealing a letter inside. "It's from Landry," she began reading the words on the page.

_Dear Charlotte,_

_I know what you're thinking sis. I've gone and lost my marbles naming you as Zane's guardian. And as much as you refuse to believe it right now, I knew what I was doing. But you're probably still shaking your head as you read this, which is why I'm writing this letter. _

_As you know by now, I've joined Big Daddy up in heaven. Yes, I know… gone too soon. Writing this makes my heart hurt, because I'm thinking about Zane. Zane is the best gift God has ever given Shelly and me. He's my reason for getting up every morning, because seeing that smile on his little face just lights up the room. _

_And now, Zane will be in your care. I hope he brings you as much joy in your life as he has done in mine. _

_I know you're thinking to yourself that you can't do this…that you don't have a nurturing bone in you because of how Momma neglected us. Well, I say you can do this. I know you can because I believe in you. _

_When we were kids, I never forgot how you took care of me, how you took care of Duke too. You kept Duke and me in line, especially on the days when Momma forgot we existed. Charlotte, you had a mothering instinct in you then and you've got it in you now. You just have to let yourself believe. _

_And I'm sure, whatever man you've got in your life will love you and help you in any way he can with raising my son. I could have easily entrusted Zane to Duke, but being how he's already got three young ones, I didn't want to saddle him with my son. _

_You'll be wonderful with him. I know you will._

_Take care of Zane, Charlotte. Love him as much as you loved me, because he's all you have left of me (aside from my money that is.) Raise him to be a good man, just like his daddy turned out to be. _

_And remember, I'll always be watching over the both of you. I love you, sis._

_-Landry_

Duke watched Charlotte fold the letter and slip it back into the envelope. "Well, what'd it say?"

Charlotte pursed her lips together and inhaled deeply. "Said that he hope Zane brings me the same joy that he brought Landry," she held the envelope in her hand and turned to face the open field. "Said that I've got the motherin' instinct in me, regardless of what I think of myself."

"I tend to think that too," Duke placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You did a good job taking care of Landry and me, if I remember correctly…despite how much trouble we were."

"Landry and you… two peas on a doggone pod," Charlotte chuckled to herself. "You know, there were days when I wanted to smack the both of you upside the head 'cause you were both being a pain. Never gave me privacy or nothin'."

Duke smiled. "But isn't that what brothers are supposed to do?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "And you wonder why I begged Big Daddy, askin' him if I could move into a room on the other side of the house." She sighed softly, looking down at the letter in her hand. "I don't know if I can do this. What if I mess that lil' boy up? It was easy with you and Landry, 'cause you both were kids already. I just made sure we all stayed outta trouble."

"Lottie…" Duke drawled, putting both hands on his sister's shoulders and looking directly into her eyes. "You can do it. I know you can. You're gonna love that baby boy with everything in your heart, because every time you look into his eyes, you'll see Landry in 'em. Besides, you're not alone in this. I mean, you'll have Cooper's help."

"I have no idea how Cooper is going to react to this."

"I think he'll be thrilled. You did tell me how much he adores kids. Heck, Jacob hasn't stopped talkin' about Uncle Coop."

Charlotte smiled. "He loves your kids too. Coop loves all kids. Loves 'em so much that he's already been picturin' a baby in my belly."

"See, he already knows you'll be a good momma," Duke assured. "He's gonna love helpin' you raise Zane." He noticed Charlotte looking past him and turned around to find Cooper walking across the grass. "Travis is still waiting inside, so I'm gonna go show him out. He'll be back tomorrow to talk about the arrangements regarding Zane. I'll leave you and Cooper to talk."

Charlotte waited for her brother to close the terrace door before meeting Cooper by the railing. She greeted him with a kiss, seeking comfort in his arms. She remained there for a moment before stepping back and leading him to a pair of chairs. "I think we should sit down."

"Okay," Cooper replied, wiping some sweat off his brow. "Sorry, I had a little too much fun chasing Duke's kids around. Jacob loves playing tag."

"I can tell," the blonde laughed. She took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to tell Cooper about the news. "So, Duke and I found out what Landry's will said."

"How'd that go?" he asked.

"Well, as expected, Landry left Duke and me his money and his house," Charlotte began, thinking it would make sense to lead in with that. "He also left Duke the law practice and arranged some sort of financial account for Momma."

Cooper smiled. "That's great. So I guess you and Duke will split the assets?"

"I guess. He and I haven't talked about that yet," Charlotte replied. She moved forward a little, reaching for Cooper's hand. "There's somethin' else, though. He named me Zane's guardian," she waited for a reaction from her fiancée and began to worry when he wasn't saying anything. "Now I understand if you're not ready for this, to be an instant dad and all. Heck, I don't even know if I'm ready to be a mom."

As expected, Cooper's smile grew from ear to ear. "So, Landry wanted…wants…wanted us to raise his son?" he saw Charlotte nod her head. "Wow, can't say I expected this."

"Neither did I and frankly, I'm really freaked out about it," Charlotte replied, still holding his hand. "Coop, I'm gonna need your help, because I know I am not capable of doin' this alone. I don't know how to be a momma."

Cooper squeezed the blonde's hands reassuringly. "Sweetie, you already know how much I love kids. It's why I became a pediatrician. Of course I'm going to help you. We're in this together, you and me."

"You're sure about this?"

"Baby, I'm not going anywhere."

Charlotte smiled, cupping his face and leaning in to kiss him. "You are an amazing man."

"Thanks. I like to think that of myself too sometimes," he grinned, Charlotte lightly smacking him on the knee. "You know, we're going to need a bigger place. I don't think it's right raising a one-year old in the loft," he paused. "Assuming you want to raise him in L.A. that is. If you don't want to, I guess I can make the adjustment of living the small town life."

"We'll bring him out there. No way I'm stayin' here and going back to small town livin'. How soon can we find a bigger place?" Charlotte replied, putting Cooper at ease. The loft was tight enough with the two of them living there, let alone how much more cramped it would get when they added Zane into the mix.

Cooper thought to himself for a moment. "Well, what do you think of one of the places we looked at last month? I remember you liked the one by the beach," he suggested, trying to jog the blonde's memory at the same time. "It's got more than enough room and it's not that far from the practice or St. Ambrose."

Charlotte knew which house he was talking about, also recalling the morning they had spent looking at different places in the Santa Monica area. While living by the beach wasn't necessarily at the top of her list, it was a convenient place for them to live. "Think you can contact the realtor to see if it's still available?"

"I can give her a call later and find out. I'm sure it still is. If not, I bet we could find another place real quick."

"Thanks."

Charlotte moved closer to him, as they sat in silence for the next few minutes. It was the first time she let herself relax after being internally wound up with emotion for the past two days. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, taking in the quiet moment.

The terrace door creaked open from behind, causing both of them to turn around. Duke stepped outside, holding Zane in his arms. The baby boy rubbed his eyes, sucking on the pacifier in his mouth as he leaned against Duke's shoulder.

"Someone just woke up from his nap and I thought he could use some fresh air," Duke said, carrying Zane over to where Cooper and Charlotte were seated. He leaned toward his sister, carefully transferring the baby boy into her arms. "There you go. You're a natural. He loves you already."

Charlotte cradled Zane in her arms, gently running her fingers through his soft blonde hair. She tried not to let her apprehension show as she held him. "Hey there, Little Man. Did you sleep okay?" hearing him whimper. "Oh what's wrong? You miss your daddy, don't you?"

Duke and Cooper stood by, watching Charlotte talk with the baby boy. Both men smiled at how loving she was toward Zane. "She's a natural," Duke whispered. "I don't know why she keeps sayin' she doesn't have any motherin' in her."

Cooper motioned for Duke to step aside with him. They walked toward the opposite end of the terrace, completely out of earshot from Charlotte. "She's afraid of turning out like your mother," Cooper explained. "It's one of the reasons why she's been so resistant to idea of having kids."

Duke glanced over his shoulder. "I figured that. Momma never really showed us any affection all the often. Makes sense that she'd feel that way since she had no one to learn from," he turned around to watch the blonde. "But she's got nothin' to fear. From what we're seeing right now, she's already letting Zane into her heart," hearing Zane giggle as his sister gently bounced the boy on her knee. "She's gonna raise Zane well. You both will."

"I know, I just need to get Charlotte to believe that," Cooper said, finding himself unable to take his eyes off the blonde. "I've got a feeling that little boy is going to bring out a side of her she never knew existed."

~end chapter


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Cooper came into the study and found Charlotte on the phone. He surmised she was checking in with a member of her staff at St. Ambrose making sure things were running smoothly. While she remained on the phone, Cooper decided it would be a good time to call someone at Oceanside, just to see what was going on there.

"Hey Violet," he spoke, stepping to the opposite end of the room so his conversation wasn't clashing with Charlotte's.

"Hey Coop. What's going on?" Violet replied on the other end.

"Oh not much… Hey, I was wondering if I can ask a favor."

"Sure, anything."

"Can you go into my office and check my desk," Cooper scratched his head, hoping what he needed was still there. "I think there's a business card somewhere. It's got the number for a realtor."

Violet got up from her chair and went to Cooper's office. "Okay, what am I looking for again?"

"A business card," he replied. "Did you find it?"

"Hold on, I'm looking," she said, searching his desk. "Oh, here it is. Palm Realty, Ellen Reed. You need the number?"

"Yes please," he grabbed a pen and took down the phone number from Violet. "Thanks Vi."

"I thought you and Charlotte were going to hold off on getting a new place. Did you two change your minds?" Violet inquired. She was aware that Cooper and Charlotte started house hunting about a month ago, but heard that they decided to wait until they got married to move somewhere bigger than his loft. "Sorry, Coop. I shouldn't even be asking. It isn't any of my business."

Cooper bit down on his lower lip. He was dying to tell Violet the news, since he always told his best friend of everything that was happening in his life, but he held back. This wasn't his news to tell. It was Charlotte's and it wouldn't have been fair of him to say anything to anyone. "It's nothing. We were just talking about it today and Charlotte wanted me to check with the realtor to see if anything else had popped up on the market."

"Okay… so how's Charlotte doing?" Violet asked.

"Doing as well as can be expected," Cooper looked over his shoulder at Charlotte, who was still on the phone. "She's on the phone with whoever she left in charge at St. Ambrose. And from the looks of things, she doesn't seem so happy with what she's hearing."

"Well, you know she runs a tight ship."

"Yes, that she does."

"But how is she dealing with her brother's death?" Violet didn't mean to slip into shrink mode, but it was second nature. Deep down though, she just cared about the blonde.

Cooper sighed. "She seems fine. I mean, she spoke at the service yesterday, despite saying she wouldn't. So I think that's something. I'm not too worried though. She hasn't done anything out of the ordinary."

"Well, everyone deals with grief in different ways, so maybe Charlotte's found a way to deal with it all."

"I think she has," he replied, thinking about Zane. "Alright, I gotta go. Thanks for getting me that number. I'll see you when we get back in a few days."

"Okay, Coop. Talk to you soon."

Just as Cooper was putting his cell phone down, Charlotte finished her call at the same time. She met gazes with Cooper, who was looking at her with concern.

"Is everything okay at the hospital?" he asked, but already knew the answer.

"Yes and no, but there really isn't much I can do from here," Charlotte ran a hand through her hair, wishing she could be in two places at once. Truthfully, she hated being away from her hospital, but there wasn't anything she could do, as there were family matters that needed tending to.

Cooper moved toward the blonde, wrapping an arm around her. "I realize I haven't asked you this lately, but how are you holding up? You looked pretty ragged."

"I'm fine Coop," Charlotte insisted. "Only reason why I look so ragged is because I've had a lot of my mind and I haven't been sleepin' well. I don't think I have to tell you the reason why."

"I was just checking."

"Like I said, I'm fine. If I wasn't feelin' fine, I'd say something…and you know how much I hate when you smother me."

"Sorry, sorry…" Cooper retreated. "So, I take it we're in agreement that we need to move to a bigger place."

Charlotte's brow furrowed, wondering why they were having this conversation again. "I thought we talked about this earlier. Yes, we need to move to somewhere bigger than the loft if we're gonna raise Zane."

"Okay I was just making sure. But you're aware that we'll have to stay at the loft until everything is finalized," Cooper reminded her. "We can set up something temporary in the bedroom."

"How long do you think it'll take to get things finalized?" the blonde wondered. She figured it wouldn't take too long if the property was still vacant.

"Maybe a week or two?" Cooper estimated. At best, it was an educated guess since he wasn't a real estate expert. He figured the process would be fairly easy since they were already in the initial stages of buying a place, not too long ago. "I'd also have to talk to her about putting the loft on the market. But that shouldn't be too hard."

Charlotte looked at the clock on the wall. It was a little past noon and Travis was supposed to be coming around one o'clock to discuss Zane's guardianship. She tried to stifle a yawn, feeling somewhat tired after not getting much sleep the night before. She had spent most of the night lying in bed, thinking about how her priorities would have to change, both hers and Cooper's. It was a thought that wasn't very appealing to her, but there really was no choice in the matter.

"Travis is should be here soon. I think there are some papers he needs me to sign or somethin' like that," Charlotte leaned against Cooper, reveling in the comfort of his arms.

"Do you want me to stay? Because, I can go and do something else if you need me to," Cooper asked, inwardly hoping she didn't want him to go anywhere."

The blonde nodded. "You can stay. It'd be a good idea if you did since it's you and me doin' this together."

"Okay."

Travis arrived at one o'clock on the dot. He sat down across from Cooper and Charlotte, opened his briefcase and took out a set of papers. "Alright. This shouldn't be too hard. It's just some documents making it official that you'll be Zane's guardian," he said to Charlotte. "Just formalities and all."

"Alright," she replied. "So, where do I sign?"

"Here," Travis pointed to the bottom of the first page. Then he flipped to subsequent pages, "And here…here…and one more time here."

Charlotte grabbed a pen and went about signing in the designated areas. After she was done, she handed back the document to Travis. "So that's it? Everything is official?"

"Pretty much, yes," he slid them back into a folder and put it inside his briefcase. "I just have to file them. But other than that, you're now Zane's official guardian."

"What about Cooper? I mean, he's raising the child with me and we're engaged," Charlotte inquired. It was a legitimate question to ask, considering Cooper was going to be a part of the child's life.

"Well, when are you two plannin' on getting married?" Travis asked.

Cooper was quick to reply. "Sometime later this year."

"Oh, well… that's something I think we'll handle when that time comes," Travis answered. "Give me a call when you two officially tie the knot and I'll see about Cooper," he sat back in his chair. "So, the two of you gonna set down some roots here in Monroeville?"

"Actually, we're going to bring Zane to California with us," Charlotte replied, making it more of a statement than an answer. "We both have steady, respectable jobs out there."

Travis raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that Charlotte wasn't planning on staying in Alabama. He figured with her younger brother Duke close by, it would be sensible to stay near to family. "Ah, I see. I just thought, you know… you've got your brother here and all."

"Well, we've both got established lives in Los Angeles. It's kind of hard to leave that behind," Cooper commented. He wasn't sure where Travis was going with this and it suddenly made him feel a little uneasy. "By the way, how can we get a hold of Zane's medical records? It would be very helpful if we had that, in case anything should happen."

"I can have those sent to the pediatrician, as soon as you get me his name," he replied.

Cooper smiled sarcastically. "You're looking right at him."

"I'll have those dropped off here later this afternoon."

"Thanks."

Charlotte sensed the tension building in the room, most of it between Travis and Cooper. She knew it was time for this meeting to come to an end before things escalated. "Is there anything else I need to do?" she interjected. "Any other papers to sign?"

"No, that's pretty much it," Travis stood, picking up his briefcase. "I'll have someone messenger Zane's medical records over. You'll have them before the evening."

"Thanks," Charlotte said. She walked around the table. "I'll walk you out."

Travis held up a hand. "No, it's okay. I know my way. Take care and good luck. We'll probably be in touch again soon." And with that, he left the room.

Charlotte turned to Cooper and glared somewhat at him. "What was that? If I didn't jump in, I thought I'd have to tear the two of you apart."

"Sorry. There was something about him that didn't feel right," Cooper ran a hand through his hair. "Did you hear the way he was talking when we told him that we're going to raise your nephew in LA?"

"Well, I'd much rather raise Zane here in familiar surroundings, since it seems like the most sensible ideas," Charlotte started to explain. "But we have our lives out there in California. Not to mention our jobs. And while I love having family around… having Duke close by, I also don't want to get caught up in the whole small town thing. Everyone knows everyone else's business here. It's like Oceanside on crack."

Cooper laughed, amused at how his fiancée explained the Monroeville community. "So you're saying no one can keep a secret here."

"Pretty much," Charlotte made a funny face. "You say one thing to the manager at the General Store and by evenin' time, the pastor's mother's sister-in-law's son who knows the deacon who knows the malt shop manager who knows the drug store clerk has the news. I'm telling you, nothin' ever stays a secret 'round these parts." She sighed, "You saw how many people showed up at Landry's funeral. Practically the whole town."

"I noticed," Cooper said as he remembered the turnout. "All those people knew Landry?"

"Most of 'em," she nodded. "Some of 'em knew of him, but came to pay their respects. You know how it is. Anyhow, we're getting off track. Is there somethin' about Travis that seems off to you?"

Cooper shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe it was just me. I was a little put off with the way he was talking. It's nothing." He pulled Charlotte into his arms. "So your brother has Zane right now and we've don't have anything to do this afternoon. I was thinking we could go for a walk? Maybe to the stables?"

Charlotte grinned. She had a feeling of where Cooper was going with this. She decided to go along with his idea. "The stables you say?" she said, eyebrow raised. "Maybe we could go for a ride or something?"

"Or something…" Cooper winked. He grabbed Charlotte's hand, eagerly leading her out of the study.

Cooper and Charlotte were definitely going to have fun while they had the time.

* * *

"So, we agree to split the assets fifty-fifty?" Duke asked, holding yet another set of documents in front of him as he sat across from Charlotte.

"Yes, split the money equally," Charlotte agreed. "You can have Landry's house if you want. I got no use for it."

"Are you sure about that Lottie? I mean, it's Zane's home too," he replied, hoping his sister would change her mind about raising their nephew in California.

Charlotte sighed. "Duke, I told you already. Cooper and I have our lives in LA. We have friends there and jobs."

"You can both be doctors here," he countered. "I know County Hospital would hire you in a second as Chief-of-Staff. And Coop… everyone would love another pediatrician in town."

"Duke…" Charlotte drawled, saying his name with more emphasis. "I'm not gonna get into this again with you. Okay?"

"Alright," Duke held up his hands, a sign he was retreating. The battle was already a lost one for him. "Just promise me one thing, Lottie."

"What's that?"

"Don't go turnin' Zane into some surfer boy. Remind him of where he came from."

Charlotte nodded, smiling. "I promise. Now hand over those papers so I can sign 'em." She watched Duke slide them across the table. "Where do I sign again?"

"Right there on the bottom of the page," he pointed. Charlotte signed her name and passed the documents back to him. "Alright, I'll bring these over to Travis' office tomorrow and then we're done. All of Landry's affairs have been taken care of."

"And Zane's things? They're all packed?"

"Got everything you needed waitin' in the foyer. What time are you and Cooper flying out tomorrow?"

Charlotte placed the cap back on the pen. "Early afternoon. Puts us back in LA sometime late afternoon."

"I'm gonna miss you," Duke smiled, ashamed to admit that he didn't want his sister to leave. It had been nice having her around for the past few days, albeit the circumstances.

"Nothin' is stopping you from coming out to visit," Charlotte said nonchalantly. "It's not like you can't take a vacation or somethin'."

"I guess the thought never crossed my mind."

"You're welcome to visit anytime. Plus, you'll wanna see how the baby boy is growin'. "

Duke nodded. "Speaking of… where's Zane?"

"Cooper's got him. I think he was giving him a once over before we make the trip tomorrow," the blonde replied. "He wants to make sure he's okay and all."

"You've got yourself a good man, Lottie. Don't you ever let him go," Duke advised, which pretty much meant he was giving her his seal of approval. "Don't you worry what Momma thinks. She's so far gone that she doesn't even know what's goin' on half the time."

Charlotte sighed deeply. She had gone to check on her mother earlier, just to see if she was remotely close to being sober enough to talk, but saw it was of no use to even try. The minute she had opened the door to the room, her mother had was in any condition to have a conversation. So she turned around and walked back down the hall, reminding the help to check in on her every so often during the day.

"Duke, can you do me one thing?" the blonde asked. She realized the request may not go over so well, but thought to bring it up anyway. "I know Momma is a sore point with us and we're evil for turnin' our backs on her, but you think you could stop by here every now and then. You know, to check on things here. It's the home where we grew up after all…and I'd hate to see things well…"

The younger man reached across the table. "Yes, I'll check in on Momma every now and then. As much as we don't like her, she is still our mother."

"Thank you Duke."

"You should go on upstairs and get some sleep. Go be with Cooper and Zane. I'll come by tomorrow before you go to say goodbye."

Charlotte pushed her chair back and stood. "G'night Duke."

"Night, Lottie. Sleep well…at least try to. Don't think I haven't been noticin' the tired look in your eyes."

"Nothing ever gets past you."

"Nope, nothin'."

Charlotte climbed the staircase and walked down the hall to the bedroom she was sharing with Cooper. She opened the door and found him sitting on the bed with Zane, rolling a ball back and forth with him. Every time Cooper rolled it toward the baby boy, he would giggle, which made Charlotte smile.

"Hey," Cooper saw Charlotte standing at the door. "Come and join us. Zane and I could use the company."

"In a minute. I just wanted to make sure everything is packed," Charlotte walked over to their bags, looking to see if they had left anything out.

"Char, come on. I packed everything. Join us here on the bed," Cooper urged. He wanted Charlotte to get to know her nephew a little more. "Please?" he took the child into his arms and pursed his lips together in a puppy-doglike face.

Charlotte shook her head, laughing because there was no way she could say no that face. It was probably her one weakness whenever Cooper looked at her that way. "Fine," she relented, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to them. "Okay, now what?"

Cooper slid closer, still holding Zane in his arms. "I think someone wants to be held," averting his eyes to the baby boy. "Go on, take him. He's not going to break," he watched Charlotte carefully take Zane into her arms. "See, he likes you."

Zane fussed for a few seconds, before settling in the blonde's embrace. He looked up at her curiously, his hand reaching for her necklace."

"Hey now," Charlotte gently pulled his tiny hand away and smiled slightly. "That's mine." She looked down at the smiling baby boy and gazed into his blue eyes. They reminded her so much of Landry and for a moment, it was like she was looking at her brother. "He looks just like him."

"Really" Cooper asked, looking a little more closely at Zane. "I can see he's got Landry's eyes."

"And his smile."

"Think so?"

"Yeah, it's just like the smile that Landry used to give me whenever he begged me not to tell Big Daddy on him," Charlotte said, as Zane wrapped his tiny hand around her index finger. She turned her attention to him, admittedly somewhat taken by his adorable presence. "What?" she said, noticing Cooper was staring at her. "Why are you lookin' at me like that?"

Cooper smiled. "No reason. Just watching the way you are with the kidlet."

"Am I doin' something wrong?"

"No, you're doing just fine."

Charlotte breathed a small sigh of relief. "Oh, okay."

"I spoke to Sam earlier. He's going to pick us up at the airport," Cooper told her. "Since he's got a baby seat in his car because of Olivia, we can put Zane in there for the drive back to the loft. Also, I'm going to ask Violet and Pete to lend us Lucas' portable crib until we can get one of own. Lucas has outgrown it, so they've got no use for it anymore."

"Sounds good," the blonde replied. She saw Zane yawn and looked over at the clock. "I think it's his bedtime. We should put him to sleep so he isn't cranky tomorrow." She watched Cooper move off the bed, wondering where he was going. "Hey, you runnin' away from me now? I thought you said you're gonna help."

"Relax," Cooper reassured her. "I'm going to get his bottle. Warm milk will help put him to sleep."

"Oh…okay," Charlotte said, feeling a little embarrassed. It was moments like this that showed that she was definitely a novice at parenting. She looked up at him. "Sorry Coop. I didn't mean to jump all over you. I just thought… I'm new to all this parenting stuff."

Cooper sat back down, reaching for her hand. "Char, don't worry. We're in this together and it's going to be a learning experience for us," he leaned over, kissing her. "You'll get the hang of this soon."

Charlotte bit down on her lip, looking away. "You seem light years ahead of me. I haven't the slightest idea what to do."

"You'll learn."

"I'm afraid of screwin' up."

"You won't screw up," Cooper admonished. "You're doing a good job right now, knowing that it's time to put him to bed. Now if you'll let me go get his bottle, the sooner we can get him to sleep, the sooner you and I can get some sleep ourselves, with maybe some pre-bedtime fun."

Charlotte nodded. "Okay, go. I'll be fine here with him."

"I'll be right back," Cooper rushed out of the bedroom.

Charlotte turned her attention back to Zane, who was busy playing with a set of plastic keys. She looked at him for a moment, hoping Cooper was right, that in time, she'd get the hang of being a parent. Smoothing down Zane's blonde hair with her hand, she smiled at him. "I know I'm nothin' like your momma or your daddy, but I promise you that Cooper and I will do our best. I still think your daddy was crazy, wantin' me to raise you but not much I can do 'bout that now, so I guess you're stuck with me," she smiled slightly at the baby boy. "So you'll have to cut Cooper and me a little slack. Okay?"

Zane gurgled, giving the plastic keys to Charlotte smiling back at her. "Alright, then I'll take that as a yes."

~end chapter

* * *

_So I skipped all the legal stuff and court stuff and just outright had Charlotte sign a few papers and ta-dah she's officially Zane's guardian. I took some creative license for myself, so I hope you can overlook the minor legal details. _

_Thanks for the feedback. Very much appreciated. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sam pushed his sunglasses up and checked his watch. He leaned against his car, patiently waiting for Cooper and Charlotte to arrive. It had been a busy morning for him so far, having to shuttle Maya and Olivia around for errands because Dink was pulling an extra shift. Sam hoped Charlotte and Cooper didn't mind the baby seat in the back, although he recalled Cooper telling him it was a good thing he did have one, since it would come in handy.

A few minutes later, Sam saw the reason why, raising his eyeglasses to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Charlotte King was walking towards him carrying a baby in her arms. He saw Cooper a few steps behind, pushing the cart with their luggage and a baby bag strapped over his shoulder.

"Hi…" Sam said, a bit confused at the tiny human Charlotte was holding. He distinctly remembered them leaving as a couple a few days ago and now they returned with one extra person in tow. He watched Charlotte walk past him and stand by the passenger side door. Sam immediately opened it for her and then looked over his shoulder at Cooper. "Do I want to know?"

"I'll explain later," Cooper replied. He placed the suitcases in Sam's trunk, walked back around the car and got inside, holding the baby bag in his lap. He turned around, "You okay back there?"

Charlotte gave him a tired nod. "We're fine. Let's just get home."

They drove in silence for the first few minutes until Sam couldn't take it anymore. He glanced in the rearview mirror at the blonde haired, blue-eyed baby boy sitting in his granddaughter's baby seat and was curious to find out where he came from.

Charlotte wasn't oblivious to his occasional glances and decided to save him the trouble of asking. "So, you're wonderin' why Coop and I have a baby with us. 'Cause don't think I didn't notice that weird look on your face when you saw me comin' towards you."

"Can't hide anything from you Charlotte, huh?" Sam laughed as he drove. "Okay, yes. I am wondering why there is a baby. I'm assuming he's related to you."

"He's my nephew," the blonde answered. "Sam Bennett, meet Zane Nicholas King. I'd get into the whole story, but I'm too tired. I'll let Cooper give you the cliff notes, since he likes to share."

Sam glanced sideways at Cooper, but could tell his friend wasn't up for telling any stories at the moment. Turning the corner, he pulled up in front of Cooper's building. "Alright and we're here," he got out of the car and went to take the luggage out of the trunk. "I'll let Addison and everyone else know you're back."

"Thanks," Cooper replied. "Give us a day or two…"

"No problem," Sam said, getting back into his car and driving away.

With the baby bag over his shoulder, Cooper grabbed hold of the other bags and walked inside with Charlotte and Zane. They went up to the loft quietly, except for the occasional soft cooing from Zane. After seeing Cooper struggle to get the door unlocked, Charlotte stepped in and turned the key, saving him from any further trouble.

Charlotte walked inside with Zane in her arms. "Well, this is going to be a tight fit," she said, standing by the couch. "And we still don't have anywhere for Zane to sleep."

"Already taken care of," Cooper called out from the bedroom, where he was putting all their bags. "I'm going to go by Violet and Pete's in a little while to borrow some things. But it would also mean me telling them the reason why we need some of Lucas' old stuff. Are you okay with that?"

"Go ahead and tell 'em. Not like it's a secret anymore, since Sam knows," Charlotte sat down on the couch. She placed Zane down next to her and handed him the set of plastic keys to play with.

Cooper grabbed his sunglasses and car keys. "Okay then, I'll be back as soon as I can. I'll grab some dinner too while I'm out."

"And food for the baby while you're at it."

"Yes, already on my list."

The door shut behind Cooper, leaving Charlotte alone with Zane. Her brow furrowed as she looked down at the baby boy, wondering what they could do to occupy their time. Their home wasn't exactly equipped for kids, which left Charlotte at somewhat of a loss. And toys would only keep the baby boy distracted for so long.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me," Charlotte spoke, running her fingers through Zane's soft blonde hair. "Got any ideas on what we should do?"

Zane looked at her, dropping the keys into her lap.

"I'd feed you, but Coop's out gettin' you some food," the blonde said, knowing that she wouldn't get a reply. "Maybe you want some milk? I think we've got some in the fridge." She moved to get up off the couch but stopped, realizing she couldn't leave Zane sitting there by himself. Spotting the baby bag, she reached for it and grabbed one of the empty bottles. "Alright, let's go make you that bottle of milk," she said, taking Zane into her arms.

It was a bit of a challenge, but a few minutes later, Charlotte was back on the couch with Zane cradled in her arms along with a bottle of milk. Realizing that she couldn't just sit there and do nothing, she grabbed book from her bag and opened it to where left off and began reading, despite the precarious position.

An hour later, Charlotte heard the jingling of keys on the other side of the door, surmising Cooper was back. She was ready to get up and lend a hand when she looked down and saw the baby boy was still asleep. As the door opened, she pressed a finger to her lips, motioning for Cooper not to make too much noise as he carried in the portable crib.

"I've got a couple more things out in the hallway," he said softly, walking back out and returned with diapers, some toys and bags of food.

"Geez Coop, what'd you go and do? Buy out the store?" Charlotte eyed everything he had carried in.

"No. I just got what I thought we needed," Cooper replied, immediately getting the portable crib set up so Zane could lay in it. "Some of this stuff was Violet's idea."

Charlotte chuckled. "You and Violet must have had a field day then. What'd she say when you told her about our situation."

"You mean about Zane," he said, getting up to take baby from the blonde's arms. He carried him to the portable crib and carefully laid him down. "She didn't say much aside from offering to help if we needed a hand."

"I'm surprised she didn't follow you home so she could meet the little rascal," Charlotte replied, stocking the cabinet with the food Cooper had bought. "Potato wedges, macaroni, cheese, carrots…" she looked inside the other bags to find more food than they ever had before. "Guess it's time for us to change our eating habits."

Cooper nodded, helping the blonde stock the kitchen. "Less take-out, more home cooking."

"And how exactly are we going to figure all of this out? I have a packed schedule already with Oceanside and St. Ambrose," Charlotte leaned against the counter, folding her arms across her chest. "You know, maybe it was better than Duke took Zane than us. Coop, we're not ready to be parents."

Cooper moved toward Charlotte, pushing her chin up with his hand. "Char, look at me. We can do this… I'm not going anywhere," he said, looking intently into her eyes. "I know this is a big life change for us and we didn't anticipate any of this, but that baby boy in there needs you, needs us. So we're going to find a way to make this work."

Before Charlotte could reply, a cry came from the bedroom, which meant Zane was awake. She was about to move away but Cooper stopped her, saying he'd go and pick him up. Charlotte meanwhile remained in the kitchen, watching him from a distance as he gently took the baby boy into his arms.

"Sounds like someone is hungry," Cooper smiled at Zane, brushing his finger along his cheek. He pointed to a small container on the counter. "That's chicken and rice soup inside of that. Let's get the kiddo fed before he cries up a storm." He disappeared for a few seconds to get a bib from inside the bag and tied it around Zane's neck. "Alright, we're going to have to work together on this one, since I don't have the baby chair set up yet. Do you want to feed and I hold him or the other way around."

"I guess I'll try and feed the boy," Charlotte shrugged, sitting down at the table with Cooper. She took of the lid and dipped the spoon into the soup. Before giving it to Zane, she brought the spoon to her lips and checked to see if the broth was still hot. "Alright, here goes nothin'," she slowly moved the spoon towards Zane, who opened his tiny mouth slightly to take in a little bit of broth. Both Cooper and Charlotte held their breaths for a second and waited for a reaction. Much to their surprise, the baby boy didn't spit any of it back out, which of course was a relief.

They spent the next two hours feeding Zane and then bathing him. It was a team effort and frustrating at some moments, but together, they accomplished the tasks. By the time they got Zane down to sleep, it was a little after ten and they were both exhausted.

Cooper walked out of the bathroom and climbed into bed. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired."

"He down for the count?" Charlotte asked.

Cooper looked over at a soundly asleep Zane laying in his crib. "Yep. And with our luck, sleep through most of the night."

"I think you may have just jinxed us," the blonde replied, settling against the pillows.

"Hopefully not," Cooper reached over to turn off the bedside lamp. "Good night," he said, kissing Charlotte as he laid his head on the pillows.

"Night," Charlotte sighed. Unable to fall asleep right away, her gaze fell upon the sleeping baby boy. "Coop?"

"Yeah?"

"How are we goin' to do this?"

Cooper sat up a little, propping his elbow on the pillow, head resting in his hand. Following Charlotte's gaze, he replied, "It's going to take a bit of compromise from the two of us, but I think we can work out something," draping his arm over the blonde's waist and pulling her close. "I know most of your hours are spent at St. Ambrose and when you're not there, you're at the practice."

"Mmhmm…" Charlotte continued to watch Zane sleep from where she was laying in bed. "I don't want to just pass the kid off to some babysitter or nanny. Duke, Landry and I had enough of that growin' up. I mean, if we're gonna be parents to Zane, I want us to be around as much as we can."

"Why Charlotte King, it sounds like you're thinking like a parent," Cooper chuckled. Although she had her back to him, he was smiling at how his fiancée was beginning to come around to the idea of being a parent.

Charlotte turned over to face Cooper. "Well, not like there is much I can do. And I refuse to let that boy have the kind of life I did growin' up. He's gonna know he's loved. So if I gotta change my ways a little to make sure he gets the best life possible, then that's what I'm gonna do. But if you ever tell anyone I'm going soft, you can bet you're not gettin' any for a week."

"Ah, there's the Charlotte I know and love," Cooper pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled. "But see, you're thinking like a mom already. You're putting Zane's needs before your own," he pulled her closer so her head was resting on his shoulder. "We'll work out some sort of a schedule so Zane won't have to be with a babysitter all the time. For now, we can take him to Oceanside with us and he can stay with me when you're at St. Ambrose."

"I'm not too keen on that idea. That place is a bed of germs sometimes, dependin' on how many sick kids go in and outta there," Charlotte said, knowing it was a good point to bring up.

"Pete brought Lucas in for a period of time if I remember," Cooper mentioned.

"But Pete doesn't have kids coughin and sneezin' all over him everyday."

"Hmm…point taken. We need to come up with something, though," he thought quietly to himself for a few moments before another idea came to mind. "But for now, we play it according to our schedules? Depending on how many patients I've got and what you have going on at Oceanside and , we'll work things out from there."

"Fine," Charlotte yawned, sleepiness beginning to set in. She moved closer to Cooper, resting her head along his shoulder. "Night."

"G'night."

Cooper awoke the next morning, hearing soft cooing from the other side of the room. Slowly, he turned over in bed only to find out the spot next to him was empty. Opening his eyes, he shielded them from the sunlight and saw Zane sitting up in his crib. He got out of bed and picked up the baby boy.

"Good morning, kiddo," he smiled. "Did you sleep okay?"

The bathroom door slid open, Charlotte standing at the doorway showered and dressed. "Oh good, you're up," she stepped into the bedroom and walked toward the dresser to grab a pair of earrings. "I need to check in at the hospital," she said, checking herself in the mirror then turning around and noticing the furrowed brow on Cooper's face. "Come on now, what's wrong?"

Cooper shrugged, a bit surprised the blonde was going into work. "Nothing, I just thought that we'd spend the day together. Maybe get things organized, take a look at a house. I don't know."

Charlotte walked over to Cooper, tilted her head and smiled at him. "And we will, later on today. I just need to check on things at the hospital. I've been gone from there long enough and I refuse to let someone else run things," she cupped his face with her hand. "Coop, I need this. Just for a few hours, okay?"

"Fine. Go," Cooper relented, knowing he wouldn't be able to convince her to stay. "But this afternoon, we're going to look at the house, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Sooner you go, the sooner you get back."

Charlotte kissed Cooper on the lips then went to grab her bag. "I'll see you later."

"See ya," Cooper waved, taking Zane's tiny hand and waving it at the blonde also. He watched the door close behind her before turning his attention to Zane. "Well buddy, it's just you and me. How about we have some breakfast. Sound good?" he heard Zane coo a reply. "Alright, then. Breakfast."

Later that morning, there was a knock at the door. Cooper opened it and found Violet standing on the other side. "Hey," he smiled. "Someone is playing hooky, I see," opening the door wider so she could come in.

Violet stepped inside. "No, not really. I don't have a patient until two, so I thought I'd…" her eyes were drawn to the blonde haired baby boy sitting on the couch playing with a soft plastic car. "Oh my, is that?"

Cooper nodded, sitting back down and pulling the boy onto his lap. "Yes. Violet Turner meet Zane King."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Zane," Violet leaned over and gently shook the baby boy's small hand. "He's adorable, Coop."

"Thanks. You should've seen all the flight attendants, they were all baby crazy on the flight back here," Cooper recalled their flight experience from the day before. "Charlotte couldn't get off the plane fast enough when we landed."

Violet looked around. "Speaking of Charlotte. Where is she?"

"St. Ambrose," he replied. "When I woke up this morning, she was already showered and dressed."

"Why am I not surprised? How's Charlotte doing?"

"As well as can be said. I think she's just trying to find some normalcy after the last two weeks."

Violet held her arms out. "Mind if I hold him?" she asked. Cooper willingly handed the baby boy over. "Hey there," she smiled, noticing his big blue eyes. "Oh, you are such a cutie. Lucas has a new playmate," looking up at Cooper. "We should schedule a playdate or something. Come on, you know it's a good idea."

Cooper laughed, agreeing with his best friend's suggestion. "Sounds good. We can do that after Charlotte and I, and Zane get all settled in."

"So, finally taking the plunge, huh?" Violet replied, while letting Zane wrap his tiny hand around her finger. "Not quite the way you thought you and Charlotte would be starting a new life."

"Well, most things in life are unexpected," he glanced at Zane. "I mean, I never imagined becoming an instant family before marrying Charlotte, but now that it's happening, I guess we're just going to take it in stride."

Violet raised an eyebrow. "And how is Charlotte handling all of this? I know she was never too keen with the idea of having kids and the whole building a family idea," she inquired, curious to hear what Cooper had to say. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry."

"She's starting to think a little differently, in terms of priorities," Cooper replied, recalling the conversation from the night before. "I'm just hoping raising Zane will help bring her around to the idea of having one of our own someday. I think it will, though."

"Oh? How so?"

"You have to see her with Zane. There's a softer side of her that comes out," Cooper smiled. "I think it's more of her wanting to make sure the kiddo gets the best life possible. She's mentioned over and over how she doesn't want Zane to have the same kind of life she had growing up."

Violet sat back, still holding Zane in her arms, who seemed content where he was. "What has she said?"

Cooper raked his fingers through his hair. "Charlotte told me about how it was mostly the nanny that had a presence in her life growing up. And after they got too old for a nanny, Charlotte's dad put her in charge of making sure her brothers stayed in line," he explained. "They never really had any role models growing up, which is why Charlotte's been so reluctant about kids. But every time I see her with Zane, the nurturing aspect comes so naturally to her. I don't know if she realizes it."

"I'm not surprised. I've always figured there was a loving and caring person lurking inside that tough exterior."

"She's always been there, Vi," Cooper reminded his friend. Reaching over, he carefully took Zane into his arms. "Uh oh, I think someone needs to be changed," he sniffed near the baby boy's rear end. 'Yup, you do."

Violet laughed. "I'm going to head back to the practice," she got up and grabbed her purse. "When are you back at work?"

"Tomorrow, most likely. I've got the Waverly twins coming in at noon," he answered, walking Violet to the door. "Thanks for coming by."

"See you," Violet smiled, reaching up and gently pinching Zane's cheek. "And hopefully I'll see you again soon, cutie." She turned and saw Charlotte coming toward her. "Hey Charlotte, I was just about to head out. Your nephew is adorable."

Charlotte nodded, giving the other doctor a small smile. "Thanks," she watched her walked past. "Why are you running out like your pants are on fire?"

"Stayed longer than planned, got patients to get back to," Violet shouted back, disappearing into the elevator.

Not thinking much of it, the blonde shrugged and walked into the loft. She dropped her bag by the door and looked around the room. "Coop? I'm back," she called out. "Cooper?"

"In here," he spoke from the bedroom.

Charlotte walked around the couch and went into the bedroom, where she saw Cooper trying to put a new diaper on Zane. From what she was able to observe, he was struggling considering how fidgety Zane was while laying on the bed. "Need some help?" she asked, unable to hold back a laugh.

"Please," Cooper pleaded, smiling innocently. He handed the new diaper to the blonde, hoping she would be more successful. "Um… maybe you should… um… Char…"

Charlotte turned her head. "What? Can't you see I'm tryin' here?"

"Yeah, but it helps if you lift his legs," he leaned over. "How about we tag team on this one."

"Fine," she moved over a little. "You take the legs, I'll slip it underneath."

Working together, they successfully put a new diaper on Zane. It wasn't perfect, but they did it, which was the most important part. Charlotte reached for the baby boy's shorts and put them back on Zane, then picked him up. "I was able to work out my schedule for the week. It meant moving some meetings around, but I think I've got it all covered."

"That's great!" Cooper came out of the bathroom, drying his hands with a towel. "And I've got a light schedule tomorrow. So maybe we can take him in with us to Oceanside? I'll set up a playpen in my office?"

Charlotte still wasn't too thrilled with the idea of bringing Zane to Oceanside Wellness, but since there was no alternative, she relented. "Alright, we'll do that," carrying Zane to the other side of the room and placing him in his crib. "I'm gonna get something to eat before we head out to meet the realtor. You made the appointment?"

"Yep, at two. It's all set."

"Good. The sooner we can get the paperwork going, the sooner we can be somewhere bigger and give us a little more room to stretch our legs."

By the end of the day, Charlotte and Cooper had placed a down payment on a house by the beach. As it turns out, the house they had seen a month prior was no longer on the market, but they were able to find a more suitable place. The convenient upside of it all (in some ways) was that they'd be living a few houses down from where both Sam and Addison lived.

Cooper and Charlotte walked out of the elevator at Oceanside Wellness the next morning, pushing a stroller in front of them. Hoping not to draw attention to themselves, they walked past the reception desk and into Cooper's office. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful as they caused their colleagues' heads to turn as they stood in the kitchen. One by one, they filed out into the corridor and stood outside of Cooper's office.

Infamous for her lack of a verbal filter, Amelia was the first to speak. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but those two didn't have a kid last time we saw them."

Violet walked up to her friends and stood next to them. "Hey, what are we all looking at?"

"Cooper and Charlotte…and a baby," Sheldon replied.

"Oh good, they're here," Violet smiled.

Naomi continued to watch the couple through the window. "Sam didn't mention anything about them coming back with someone."

"Whose kid is that?" Amelia asked, albeit abruptly.

"Charlotte's nephew," Sam answered, joining his colleagues outside of Cooper's office. "Zane King, if I remember right."

"Oh my God, is that?" the realization finally dawned on Naomi. "Charlotte's brother wanted her to raise his son?"

"Yeah," Violet nodded. "Sad isn't it?"

Amelia turned to look at Violet, confused. "Did you just say it's sad that Charlotte is raising her nephew? Well, there's a vote of confidence if I ever heard one."

Violet rolled her eyes. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

"What's going on? Why are we all standing outside of Cooper's office?" Addison asked, the newest member to join the impromptu pow-wow outside of Cooper's office. "Oh, is that the little guy?"

"Yes it is," Sam said.

Charlotte turned around, startling everyone who had been standing outside watching her and Cooper. "You do know we can hear everything you all are saying," she stated, crossing her arms in front of her. "If you all are so curious about what's goin' on, then just ask. No need to be standin' there asking questions to each other when Cooper and I can give you straight answers."

"Sorry," Addison apologized. She was the first to go into Cooper's office and bent down in front of the stroller. "Hey there buddy," she smiled, heart melting at the sight of the baby boy. "How old is he?"

"Just turned a year old two weeks ago," Charlotte replied. She turned her attention to Cooper who was still working on the playpen. "You gonna be much longer Coop?"

"Almost…" Cooper secured the last buckle. "Alright, done!" he motioned to the completed playpen. "There we go, now Zane has somewhere to stay while you and I work."

Charlotte picked the baby up out of the stroller, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "Good. Can you take him for the morning? I've got a patient coming in about a half hour and I need to prep."

Cooper reached for Zane, taking him into his arms. "Go, I'll be here. I've got nothing going on until the afternoon."

"Thank you," the blonde smiled. She brushed her hand along the top of the baby boy's head. "now you be good for Cooper, you hear?" smiling playfully at him. "I'll be back in a lil' bit," she walked out of the office and down the corridor to hers. "Y'all better not spoil the boy while I'm gone," she shouted before disappearing inside.

Amelia, Sheldon, Sam and Naomi all laughed softly as they piled into Cooper's tight office. Immediately, they crowded Addison, who was holding Zane. Each of them doted over the baby boy, as they passed him around the group.

"God, we're such baby crazy people," Naomi laughed, handing Zane back to Addison.

"No way, not me," Amelia shook her head. "Babies are fun, when they're all happy and smiling. But when they start crying, forget it… you'll see me running out the door. I am so not ready for kids."

"Well, not everyone is ready for the responsibility," Violet said, her gaze focused on Zane. "Don't worry, you'll know when that time comes."

"Yeah, sure," Amelia chuckled. "I gotta go. I'm already running late for the monthly meeting of the nerd minds."

Sam's brow furrowed as he looked at Addison.

"Monthly neurologists brunch," Addison clarified. She gently bounced Zane in her arms. "Hence, the meeting of nerd minds."

"Oh," Sam nodded. "Well, this is my cue to disappear. I've got patients," he said, making his exit.

Violet, Naomi and Sheldon left for their offices not too long after, all citing the same reason of having patients waiting for them.

Cooper was now left with Addison standing in his office. And from the looks of things, he could tell she had fallen in love with Charlotte's nephew. "You know, you're welcome in here anytime," he said, watching her as he sat in his chair. "I don't think Charlotte would mind."

"Are you sure?" Addison sat down on the couch, letting Zane wrap his small hand around her finger. She looked into his blue eyes and smiled. "I don't want to impose or anything."

"No, it's fine. Charlotte and I are still trying to work out some sort of balance in our schedules and we could use all the help we can get,"

"Well, then I'll be glad to help."

"Thanks."

Addison spent the next hour in Cooper's office, entertaining Zane and possibly, being entertained herself by the baby boy. In a way, it had been a good thing as it allowed Cooper to get caught up on some patient files. Cooper looked at the clock and noticed it was almost noon. As he was about to get up and take Zane to get fed, Charlotte walked into his office.

"Oh you're still here," Charlotte said, surprised to see the red head sitting there and began to wonder if she even left. Walking to Addison, she sat down and reached for Zane. "Hey there, were you a good boy?"

"No trouble at all," Addison replied. "Right Coop?"

Cooper nodded, grateful Addison had helped him out by watching Zane all morning. "He was a perfect angel."

Zane began to fuss in Charlotte's arms. "That's what I like to hear," she said, noticing how the boy was whimpering. "Where's the bag Coop? Sounds like Zane's wantin' something to eat."

Cooper slid his chair back and picked up the baby bag. He opened it and took out a small container they had packed with food. "Here you go," he handed it to Charlotte. "Need some help?"

Charlotte looked up at the clock. "Don't you have the Waverly twins coming in a little bit?"

"They just called. They're running an hour late," Cooper replied. "I'll go heat this up. You stay here."

"Thanks Coop," Charlotte sat back down, noticing Addison hadn't left. "Don't you have patients Montgomery?"

"Yeah, I do but not for a little while," the redhead replied. "So, how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," Charlotte said, adjusting Zane in her arms. She saw the concern in the other doctor's eyes. "Really, I'm fine. My brother's dead, but I can't dwell on that 'cause I have to take care of his son now. Gotta keep movin' forward, like he always said."

Addison nodded. She could tell that Charlotte was avoiding the subject, surmising that she hadn't allowed herself time to deal with the loss of her brother. Not wanting to press the subject, she shifted her attention to Zane. "So, I hear you and Cooper put a down payment on a house not to far from Sam and me."

"Yeah."

"Well, if you ever need any help or anyone to watch Zane."

"Thanks Montgomery, I'll keep that in mind. But I think Cooper and I are fine for now."

"Just putting the offer out there," Addison knew to retreat. She checked her watch, figuring it was time to return to her office. "I'm gonna go," she said, as Cooper was coming back in. "I'll see you all later."

Cooper sat down next to Charlotte, brow furrowed at Addison's sudden exit. "Did I miss something?"

"Nothin'… just Addison trying to get me to talk about how I'm dealin' with everything." she knew Addison meant well, trying to get her to open up, but in reality, she wasn't looking to deal with those feelings just yet. Her main concern and priority were Zane and Cooper.

"Oh, okay," Cooper said, knowing not to push the subject either. Scooping some mashed potatoes onto the tiny spoon, he held it up and motioned it toward Zane's mouth, making the sound of an airplane along the way. "Here is comes," he smiled. "Vroooommmmm…"

"An airplane doesn't go vroom, Cooper," Charlotte said, unamused.

Cooper playfully pouted. "Well, then what sound does it make?"

"Take Zane," the blonde transferred the baby boy to Cooper and took the food from his hand. She scooped a little mashed potato onto the spoon. "Alright… here comes the plane," she said, bringing the spoon to Zane's mouth, making what she thought was an airplane sound then looking up at Cooper. "You tell anyone I just did that, I will deny it."

"Your secret is safe with me," Cooper laughed, as they spent the next half hour feeding Zane,

Charlotte placed Zane in his playpen and handed him a toy to keep him occupied. Leaning against the edge of his desk, she watched Cooper clean up the small mess that had been on the table. Surprisingly, she had enjoyed the last half hour with Cooper, as they both fed Zane. She never expected to enjoy it so much, but seeing how they both were struggling, it made her feel good, knowing she wasn't alone in this.

Life had thrown her a curveball, but she was dealing with it in the best way she could.

Cooper tossed the garbage into the trash can and saw Charlotte looking like she was a million miles away. "Hey," he lightly rubbed her arm. "What are you thinking about?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Nothin' much. Just thinkin' about Landry," she turned her gaze to Zane. "I have these small moments where I miss him."

"I know, Sweetie," he kissed the top of her head. "You can talk to me about it, if you need to. I'm here."

"Yeah I know," she sighed, leaning her head against his chest as they both stood there, watching Zane.

The rest of the day went by quickly, Charlotte spending a portion of the afternoon with Zane before asking Addison for a favor while she had to do a consult over the phone. She hated having to ask for help, but saw no choice as Cooper was tied up with a walk-in.

They arrived home just after sunset, Cooper opening the door for Charlotte who was carrying a sleeping Zane in her arms. Their evening was a quiet one, as they settled into a routine of dinner for themselves and then Zane. Not too long after, they bathed him and got him down for bed, Cooper taking the time to read a bedtime story to the one-year old.

Charlotte sat on the bed, amused at how Cooper was doting over the boy. While she wouldn't admit it out loud, watching him tend to Zane warmed her heart. Cooper was truly meant for fatherhood.

Climbing into bed, he kissed her and smiled. "He's down for the count," he noticed the somewhat forlorn look on the blonde's face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing… just thinkin' about how our lives have changed," she replied, trying to hide her sigh. "It's been a week since the funeral and I'm still trying to grasp the fact that my brother is gone and his boy is here with us."

Once again, Cooper saw the same faraway look in the blonde's eyes, as he saw earlier in his office. It worried him slightly, wondering what it was that was going on in Charlotte's head. "Hey, penny for your thoughts?"

Charlotte shook her head, Cooper's voice bringing her attention back to the present. "It's nothin'."

"You sure?" he tilted his head slightly, looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine. Just have a couple of things on my mind," the blonde responded. "That's all."

"Things like what?

Charlotte rolled her eyes, knowing he wasn't going to give up until she gave him some sort of an answer. "For once, Coop. Can I just have a time where I can keep my thoughts to myself? I just don't feel like sharin' right now."

"Okay… okay," Cooper responded in retreat. "Promise me something though?"

"What?"

"If you can't talk to me, at least talk to someone… I don't know, maybe Violet or Sheldon?"

"I don't need my head shrunk. I'm fine," Charlotte countered. "But if I want to talk to someone, I will. For now, my priorities…our priority is making this instant family work."

"But you'll keep it in mind?"

Charlotte didn't reply for a few seconds then finally relented. "Yes," she breathed exasperatingly. "I'll keep it in mind, but I'm not promising."

"That's all I need to hear," Cooper smiled, knowing he hadn't exactly won the battle, but still enjoyed the small victory, hoping this would be the start of Charlotte letting her walls down.

~end chapter

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**_Stay tuned for next week... _**_Violet attempts to connect with Charlotte._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Violet peered through the blinds of Charlotte's office, watching her try to calm Zane down. She had heard the baby's cries from her office and thought to drop by and see if she could be of some help. Standing there, Violet could see that Charlotte was struggling but waited a few more seconds before interjecting herself into the situation.

Charlotte stood up, adjusted Zane against her hip and started pacing back and forth. "Alright Sweetie, we're up. I could tell you didn't like me sittin' idle and all," she said, walking toward the window. She pulled up the blinds so they could both look out. "See that there, that's the ocean," relieved that Zane was finally calming down. "Our new house is right along the water too. One of these days, when the weather is good, we'll spend a couple of hours sittin' on the sand, okay? Just you, Coop and me. Sound good to you?"

Zane looked at Charlotte, patted her cheek and smiled. "Waa…"

"I figured you'd like that," the blonde smiled. Despite the blunt demeanor that everyone knew her for, there was something about being around the baby boy that brought out a softer side in her. "We just gotta get all settled in first."

Hearing a soft knock at the doorway, she turned around and saw Violet standing there.

"Hi," the brunette stuck her head in. "Just wanted to see how things were going. I was sitting in my office and I heard some crying."

Charlotte went to sit down behind her desk, holding Zane in her lap. "Well, you don't hear it anymore, so I guess your concern is for nothing."

"Oh… well, I thought I'd just check."

"Nothin' to see here. He's all calm and peachy."

"So, how are things? Are you and Cooper settled in yet?" Violet asked, looking for a topic of conversation.

Charlotte could tell that she wasn't going to escape having a conversation with Violet and for the life of her, she couldn't understand why she was here asking, when Cooper could have filled her in. Humoring her, Charlotte replied, "Not quite. There are still boxes all over the place and Cooper still has to get his loft put on the market."

"The important thing is having more space, though. I could tell being at Cooper's was turning into tight quarters," Violet commented. She remembered how cramped her friend's loft was. It definitely was not conducive for raising a child, let alone a one-year old.

"Yeah, it's better, especially for Zane," the blonde replied. "Gives Cooper and me some privacy again and the little guy an actual room and crib to sleep in. I could tell sleepin' in those portable things wasn't too comfortable. I'd much rather he be in something that doesn't have me worrying about whether or not it's safe and sturdy. Most of all, I just want him gettin' used to being with Cooper and me."

Violet smiled a little. Hearing Charlotte talking like a parent was warming her heart. For so long, she had wondered if the blonde had a compassionate bone in her. Time and time again, Cooper would say she did but appearances were never the same as words alone.

Charlotte's brow furrowed. "Cat got your tongue? Why are you lookin' at me like that?"

"No, it's just… well, different hearing you talk like this," the brunette shrugged.

"Talkin' like what?"

"I don't know… a parent?"

"Oh," Charlotte replied. It hadn't dawned on her lately, as she was simply just moving with life and not taking the time to really think about what was going on. "I guess I'm just making the best of a situation, you know? My brother and his wife trusted me to take care and raise their son, so I'm goin' to do my best to honor that."

"But you know this isn't just a situation, it's a lifelong commitment, Charlotte," Violet pointed out. She could sense her colleague was still grasping the change in her life and Cooper's. "Before you tell me to stop shrinking you, which I'm not… I just wanted to say that I'm around to help. I know you don't like me very much and just tolerate me because I'm Cooper's best friend, but if you're ever in need of a hand or just want someone to talk to, I'm here."

Charlotte chuckled. "Funny for you to say, considerin' you missed out on the first year of parenting in your son's life," regretting those words upon seeing the forlorn look on Violet's face. "Sorry, that was out of line. I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you're right… Who am I to offer help on parenting, after passing him off to Pete because I couldn't trust myself," Violet replied, justifying the blonde's statement. "But I can see you're struggling Charlotte. That confident woman isn't feeling so confident despite what you want everyone else to see."

The blonde sat back in her chair, she looked down and saw Zane had fallen asleep in her arms. Violet was right, that she wasn't feeling very confident right now. "I'm doin' the best I can. But there are moments where I wish I could smack my brother for not tellin' me his plans. And at the same time, I wonder why he picked me," she sighed. "Bad enough that I'm afraid of turnin' out like my momma, I'm afraid of screwin' this kid up. I've never been good with kids. That's all Cooper."

She slowly got up and walked to the playpen Cooper had set up in her office. Placing him down, she covered him with the blanket before turning her attention back to Violet. She leaned against the corner of her desk, digging her hands into her pockets.

Violet reached over, placing a comforting hand on the blonde's arm, who arched an eyebrow at her. "Charlotte, you need to cut yourself some slack," she smiled ruefully. "If anything, I'd say you and Cooper are doing just fine."

"You think?"

"Yeah."

Charlotte relaxed a little, her gaze falling on Zane. It helped to hear those words from someone besides Cooper. "Thanks…"

"Just because he's in your life now doesn't mean it changes who you are. Becoming a parent is simply a new role, a very important one, but it's an added joy in your life," Violet said, as she also found herself watching the baby boy sleep. "Parenting isn't something you can figure out by reading a manual, because there's no right or wrong way of doing things. There's your way and what you think is best for him."

Still gazing at Zane, Charlotte shook her head and chuckled under her breath. "Life sure is funny sometimes. I know Cooper and I plan to spend the rest of our lives together, but I never planned on the whole family thing happenin' before we got down the aisle," she said. "But I guess it's the unexpected that makes it all the more interesting."

"Yes, it does," Violet nodded.

"Despite me worrying about followin' the footsteps of my mother, I find myself in awe every time I look at the boy."

"Well, having a child in your life can do that. Children, they're a gift and they change the way we look at life. And you'll soon realize how your heart just breaks for them a thousand times a day."

Charlotte sighed softly, hoping the brunette wouldn't notice. "You ever find yourself just staring at Lucas and not even realize you were doin' it?"

"Many times," Violet replied.

"I've uh… been doin' that a lot. I haven't been able to sleep lately, so I'd go into his room, to check on him, you know… and I'd just stand there and watch him sleep. Never thought I'd be the type to do that, but I guess I'm realizin' that I am," she said solemnly before abruptly changing her tone. "And if you ever tell anyone I'm goin' soft, I'll deny it. What we say to each other in here doesn't go past these walls."

Violet smirked, somewhat amused at how Charlotte was trying to maintain the reputation she was known for. "You have my word," she chuckled. "For what it's worth, Charlotte. I think you and Cooper will make fine parents."

Taking her eyes of the sleeping boy, Charlotte turned to look at Violet. "I know I don't say this much and I know I can be mean at times because I'm not all touchy-feely….but I just want to say thank you. What you said just now, it helps… a lot. So thanks."

Unbeknownst, Cooper and Pete were outside of Charlotte's office, watching both women converse back and forth. Both were standing there, brows furrowed as they wondered what exactly was happening.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Pete asked.

"You mean Charlotte and Violet getting along?" Cooper answered. A smile curled at the corner of his lips. He wasn't that surprised at the sight of his friend and fiancée having a civil conversation. "Stranger things have happened. Maybe those two finally found some common ground."

Pete laughed, happy to both women getting along. "Should we be afraid?"

Cooper shook his head. "Nah…Charlotte will be back to her snarky self in a day or two. I'd say we enjoy this while it lasts."

~end chapter


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's note:**__ I just wanted to say thank you to all of my readers. Your feedback and comments are very much appreciated. It's been a great joy to read what everyone has had to say, as this is my first time writing a multi-chapter Charlotte/Cooper fic. I hope you are all enjoying the journey so far as we see Charlotte and Cooper evolve into parents, more so in Charlotte. I've been writing steadily enough to update every Friday. So be on the look out._

_And now we move onto a day off from work for Charlotte and Cooper. Enjoy..._

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**Chapter 8**

Cooper woke up to the sound of soft cooing coming from the baby monitor on the nightstand. He turned over in bed and saw Charlotte was still asleep. Not having the heart to wake her on this Saturday morning, he carefully extricated himself from under the covers and slipped on his shorts. Tiptoeing out of the bedroom, he pulled the door shut behind him and walked down the hall, making a quick stop at the bathroom before reaching Zane's room.

Opening the door, Cooper looked inside and saw Zane peeking out from in between the bars of his crib, spotting the now familiar face. "Hey there, buddy," Cooper said with a smile on his face. He reached inside and picked up the baby boy. "I hope you don't mind the bedhead. You woke your Uncle Cooper up a little earlier than he'd like on a Saturday morning."

Zane looked at him, oblivious to what he was saying and patted him on the face. "Gooo…" he responded. "Gaaa…"

Cooper carried the boy out of the room. "Charlotte is still asleep, so it's just you and me for breakfast," he said, going down the stairs. Opening the cupboard, he stood there for a moment and wondered what to feed Zane. "How about some cereal. Sound good?" he brought the box to the counter and set Zane down in his high chair. "Now you sit tight, breakfast will be ready in a bit."

It didn't take long for him to prepare the cereal, as well as brew some coffee. He brewed enough for himself and Charlotte, knowing she would want a jolt of caffeine when she woke up. Cooper spent the next hour feeding Zane, while he himself munched on a bagel at the same time. Despite the small mess, he enjoyed this time with the baby boy, reveling in some male bonding time.

After cleaning up the remnants of breakfast, Cooper took Zane back upstairs to get him changed into a new outfit since the one he was wearing had cereal stains. "Ah, good as new," he said, feeling rather proud of how he tackled his fatherly duties without any mishaps. "Why don't we go take a peek and see if she's awake," he whispered, opening the bedroom door slightly and looking inside. "Nope, still asleep."

Cooper took Zane out to the back of the house and sat on the chaise lounge chair with him on his lap. Together, they looked out at the ocean, taking in the morning breeze. "You know bud, when I was a kid, I used to dream about the ocean," he said to the baby boy. "Where I grew up, there was no big blue sea for me to look out at. You're one lucky kid, getting to grow up here in sunny California by the ocean. Maybe we'll get you some surfing lessons when you get older," he pondered the amusing thought. "Or maybe not… Not sure how Charlotte would feel about you growing up and turning into a surfer boy."

He sighed to himself as a familiar face came to mind. "I used to know a guy that surfed. His name was Dell. Used to work at Oceanside but he's up in heaven now with your dad." Cooper leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the top of Zane's head, quiet for a moment as his thought about how the baby boy would never get to know his father. Turning his head, he spotted a familiar face in the distance, jogging toward him.

Spotting Cooper, Sam slowed his pace as he approached his colleague's beachfront deck. He pulled his earbuds out and draped them around his neck. "Hey Coop," he wiped off the sweat from his brow. "Up early for a Saturday."

"The little guy likes to wake with the sun," Cooper replied, smoothing Zane's hair down.

Sam smiled. "Ah… well, it's nice to get an early start to the day," he said, sitting down on the other lounge chair. "Charlotte awake?"

"Still sleeping," Cooper glanced over his shoulder at the balcony. "She got pulled into a last minute meeting and came home late. So I thought I'd let her catch up on sleep."

"That's pretty nice of you," Sam smiled at little Zane. "So, how's it going… all settled in?"

"Just a few boxes left to unpack but pretty much settled in."

"Great. And it looks like you've made the adjustment to being a dad."

Cooper looked down at the baby boy, smiling. "Pretty much. I mean, it hasn't been easy but Charlotte and I are doing the best we can. Like all new parents, we're learning."

Sam nodded. He felt for his friend, having been in the position many years ago when Maya was born. "It gets easier…well, not literally because raising a kid doesn't get any easier as they get older."

"Gee Sam, thanks for the warning," Cooper rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you know what I mean," Sam chuckled. "I meant the whole being parents thing. It has its moments," he reached across to hand Zane the toy block that had fallen onto the floor.

"I know what you mean," Cooper laughed. "I'll admit, it's a little weird to be doing the parenting thing before Charlotte and I make it down the aisle. But then again, nothing is ever ordinary with us."

Sam echoed the sentiment with a small laugh of his own. "Speaking of things out of the ordinary, I hear Charlotte and Violet were having an actual conversation the other day?" he inquired, having heard the tidbit from Pete. "Not saying that I don't believe it, but I thought I'd get confirmation from you."

Cooper nodded, recalling what he'd witnessed a few days ago. "You heard right. Pete and I were standing outside of her office. We couldn't believe it at first, but they really were nice to each other. I think it's because of the little guy."

"Well, kids will do that," Sam checked his watch and got up. "I should go and get back. Addison is probably up by now. Oh hey, before I go. If you and Charlotte ever need someone to watch Zane, we're happy to volunteer. Actually, Addison volunteered the both of us. But I thought I'd put it out there."

"Thanks. We'll keep it in mind. See ya," Cooper said, watching Sam jog away. He sat back in the chair, making sure his arms were securely around Zane. They would stay like that for the several minutes, enjoying the breeze and the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shore.

It was a little past nine when Charlotte finally awoke, turning over in bed and expecting Cooper to be there. She was met with surprise to find his side of the bed empty. Figuring Zane had woke him up, she got out of bed and heard the sound of a baby laughing from outside. She opened the French door which led out onto the balcony and saw Cooper lying on the lounge chair with Zane. Standing there, she watched them for a few seconds, smiling as Cooper played with the baby boy.

"Hey…" she called out to them. "Careful you don't drop him."

Cooper sat up and turned around. "I won't… Come down and join us!"

"I will, just give me a few minutes," Charlotte disappeared back into the bedroom. Twenty minutes later, she was outside on the deck with a cup of coffee in hand. She sat down in the other lounge chair and took of sip of her drink. "How long you been up?"

"Since seven. Zane woke me up so he and I had some breakfast and enjoyed some male bonding time."

"Male bonding time, huh?" Charlotte laughed, holding her arms out.

"Yeah. Me, him and Sam" Cooper sat up, passing the baby boy to her. "Any ideas on what to do today?"

Charlotte held Zane in her arms, letting him stand on her lap. "I was thinkin' we go shopping or somethin' Get this boy a couple of new outfits. I was fixin' his stuff the other day and there's a bunch of clothes that I know won't fit him anymore."

"Alright, I'm going to go get dressed. I can go change him if you want me to," Cooper offered. "I know you haven't had breakfast yet, so I can do it while you have something to eat and finish your coffee."

"Yeah, that'd be great," she replied, transferring Zane into Cooper's arms. She followed them back into the house and went into the kitchen while Cooper went upstairs. Standing in front of the open fridge, she looked inside and grabbed a container of yogurt. It wasn't her ideal breakfast, but it would have to do for the morning.

After driving all around Santa Monica, Cooper and Charlotte finally spotted the store they were looking for. They walked inside, Cooper carrying Zane in his arms and Charlotte next to him. For a moment, it was a bit overwhelming as they stood in the store not knowing where to start, since they never went clothes shopping for a child before.

"Oh look, a cute robe with ducks," Cooper said, picking it up with his free hand.

Charlotte took the robe from him and placed it back on the rack. "We do not need a cute robe with ducks, since we never put him in a robe. We need to find some new stuff for him to wear," she began looking through the various shirts hanging in front of her. "I think we're going to be here a while."

"We'll be over there," Cooper pointed towards the corner of the store.

Charlotte nodded, continuing to peruse the clothing rack and setting aside what she thought would look best on her nephew. She would remain there for a good period of time until Cooper returned, causing her to laugh when she saw what Zane was wearing.

"What? Too formal?" Cooper grinned.

"He looks like a tiny Monopoly guy," she tried to stifle her laughter. "Only thing he's missin' is a top hat and monocle."

"I was thinking a mini-Donald Trump," he took hold of Zane's arm and pointed. "You're fired!"

Charlotte laughed out loud, drawing attention to some of the people around her. "Cute. We'll have to revisit this tux when our wedding gets closer."

"We'll be back. Time to get the kidlet out of the penguin suit," Cooper walked away. Ten minutes later, her found Charlotte in a different area of the store and presented Zane to her. "Well, what do you think?"

Once again, Charlotte laughed. Zane was now dressed in a pair of khaki colored pants, a plaid shirt and a brown sweater. "Wow Coop, you created your mini-me," she said, noticing her fiancée's signature style and lack of color coordination. "I think that outfit is a keeper."

Cooper smiled. "I'm going to trust what you just said was a compliment."

The blonde smirked. "You could."

"We'll be right back," Cooper walked away again, with the intention of changing Zane back into his own clothes. As he was about to do that, he was tempted with another outfit, knowing this one would certainly amuse Charlotte. Grabbing it off the rack, he went into the changing room and emerged a few minutes later. "Okay, last one."

Charlotte eyed Zane for a few seconds. "You're kiddin' me right?" She knew Cooper was just playing around, or at least hoped her was upon seeing her nephew wearing a pair of board shorts, a sleeveless shirt, flip flops and a pair of sunglasses. "I refuse to dress him lookin' like a surfer boy."

"I like to call it beach wear," Cooper replied, adjusting Zane's sunglasses.

"Same thing," the blonde commented, putting everything she'd picked into one neat pile. She carried everything to the counter. "Bring the last outfit you had him in over to me. I think we're done here."

"Be right back," Cooper quickly disappeared into the changing room and put Zane back in his original jeans and t-shirt. He met Charlotte back at the counter, handing her the pants, plaid shirt and sweater.

As they walked out, Cooper couldn't help but laugh. "I thought we were just going to buy a few things," he said, eyeing the four bags of clothing Charlotte was carrying.

Charlotte shrugged, having remembered what she said earlier. "I like to have all our bases covered," she said as they walked back to the car and placed the bags in the trunk. "He'll grow out of all of 'em before we even realize it."

"You're right. In fact, I think he's already grown an inch since we left the store," he smirked, earning a light smack in the ribs from the blonde while closing the trunk of the car.

"Very funny Coop," Charlotte replied, walking to the passenger side. "Let's grab some lunch. I'm starved and I think Zane is too."

They spent the rest of the day driving around town, running errands and simply enjoying the nice day together. In some ways, this was the first time Cooper and Charlotte had had themselves a family day. The month was filled with craziness, between getting back up to speed at the workplace, finalizing the purchase of the house and the task of moving. For both of them, it felt good to finally have a day to breathe and enjoy each other's company.

While it seemed out of the ordinary at first, Cooper and Charlotte were beginning to settle into their roles as parents. It wasn't anything easy and given the ups and downs of the past few weeks, they were finally getting into a routine of sorts. Dinner was usually delegated to Cooper while clean up something Charlotte volunteered to do. Occasionally, they would alternate depending on how early or late Charlotte got home.

Bath time was probably the one task they flipped a coin on, since it wasn't the easiest thing to do. Usually, whoever bathed Zane would emerge from the bathroom with their shirt or blouse covered with water stains because of how squirmy the baby was. Yet, neither of them really minded much since it was one of the times they'd see the most mischievous of smiles on his face.

That night though, Cooper volunteered to bathe Zane while Charlotte cleaned up the kitchen. It didn't take long for her to complete the task, since they brought back pizza from their day out. Climbing the stairs, she heard the splashing of water and laughs coming from the bathroom, causing her to wonder if she was going to open the door and find a mess. Much to her surprise, she wasn't met with a mess of water in the bathroom and found an amusing surprise instead.

"Coop?" she stood at the doorway, completely unable to contain her laughter at the sight before her. "Enjoyin' yourself?" she asked, approaching the bathtub where Cooper was sitting inside with Zane on his lap. The two of them were surrounded by bubbles and various toys floating in the water. "Actually, I take that back. You two look like you're a good time."

Cooper handed Zane the rubber duck. "I didn't want our fun day to end, so I thought I'd join him in his bubble bath," he replied with a smile. "I figured it'd be easier to clean him up this way."

"As long as the both of you get clean," Charlotte bent down on her knees, pushing a toy boat towards Zane.

"We will."

"You need help puttin' him to bed?"

Cooper shook his head. "No, I got this one. You go and have martini or something. Relax. I'm going to enjoy daddy duty tonight."

Charlotte smiled and got back up. "I'll see you in bed." Heeding Cooper's suggestion, she went back downstairs, mixed herself a martini and savored it. The remainder of the evening was spent in bed, catching up on some reading while Cooper was busy with Zane. By the time he came into the bedroom, she had gotten through half of her book.

Cooper climbed into bed next to her, snuggling up against her warm body. "Today was fun," he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "We need to have more days like this."

"Yeah, I enjoyed this. First time in a long while I didn't have work on my mind," the blonde replied, setting her book down on the bedside table. She settled against the pillows and reached for Cooper's hand. "And I'll admit it, I had fun clothes shoppin' for Zane. Never thought I'd enjoy it that much, but I did."

"Welcome to parenthood," Cooper smiled.

The slight breeze coming in from the window caused the curtains to sway slightly, while moonlight shone into the dark bedroom. Cooper slept peacefully in bed and he was having the most sensual dream. He was lying on the beach at a tropical island with Charlotte and she was feeding him grapes. Wanting to enjoy the moment more, he rolled over in bed, ready to envelop the woman in his life in a warm hug, but was unpleasantly surprised into wakefulness when his arm caught empty air in a now empty bed where his sleeping partner should have been.

"Charlotte?" he whispered out loud.

Expectations aside, this dreamtime quest for the woman he loved caused his heart to tighten a little at the suddenly lonely feeling. It had been a while since he slept without anyone at his side. Cooper was now completely awake, looking at the empty space and the bedding cool to the touch where his fiancée should have been. Blinking his heavy lidded eyes, he looked at the digital clock which read 3:01AM, the room still pitch black except for the moonlight that shone through the curtains courtesy of the night sky.

Cooper looked at the clock again, his eyes adjusting to the darkness around him. 3:02AM and where was Charlotte?

"Shhh, it's okay Little Man, I'm here. You can go back to sleep now."

Charlotte's voice was still in the room, her tone so soothing it caused a smile to curl at his lips. He wondered what people did before baby monitors, laying back against the pillows, relishing the gentle and loving sound of Charlotte's voice lulling Zane back to sleep. In the weeks since their return from Monroeville, this was the first time he heard her speaking so lovingly to the child.

Cooper wondered what else she was going to say to the baby boy, thinking to himself that if she began singing a lullaby he would definitely be a goner.

After another few minutes of listening, he got out of bed and made his way to Zane's room. Cooper stopped at the doorway and simply stood there for a moment, gazing at a sight that would take anyone's breath away.

His eyes became affixed on Charlotte. She was sitting in the rocking chair, holding Zane against her chest, her eyes closed as she hummed the melody to "Baby Mine." The image made Cooper smile and his heart melt in such a way where words would not do the description justice.

For a moment, he thought to the future when she'd be holding the child that they created in her arms. In some ways, he hoped the image would become a reality in a year's time.

Walking quietly into the room, he crouched down next to the rocking chair, pushing aside a lock of blonde hair away from her face. "Hey…" he whispered. "I was wondering where you disappeared to."

Charlotte opened her eyes and looked at Cooper. "He was crying. I think it was a bad dream," she replied, still cuddling Zane close. "Not that I know if babies dream or not."

Cooper brought his hand to Zane's head, smoothing down his hair. "Yes, they do dream. Not necessarily bad dreams though. I think he's still adjusting to being with us."

"You think?" the blonde asked, wondering if Cooper was right. "I guess I'm just thinkin' about whether he's missing his momma and daddy."

"Or maybe it's a little bit of you missing his daddy too?"

"Perhaps."

"I think it's more him getting used to being in a new place," Cooper replied, trying to stifle a yawn. He looked at Zane, who was sound asleep in Charlotte's arms. "You know, he looked mighty cute in that tux I dressed him in today."

Charlotte recalled the image from earlier, laughing softly. "Yeah, he did."

"You mentioned something about revisiting the outfit when it came time for our wedding," he responded, broaching the subject carefully. "I know we haven't talked about it much since we set a date, but I was thinking, with everything that's happened…we can move the date back. I mean, if you want to."

"I don't think we should," she replied, adjusting Zane who had fussed slightly. "I think we can still do it."

"Think so?"

"Yeah, we can. I don't think we should put it off. If we're going to be parents to Zane, I want us to be officially together in every sense of the word. Plus, we've waited long enough. Life is too short Coop. We need to grab it by the horns and savor it in every way we can."

Cooper's heart swelled as he heard Charlotte talk about commitment. "Okay, we'll keep the date as is." Looking at Zane, he slowly got up and held out his hand. "Let's go back to bed. Kiddo is sound asleep."

"It's alright, you go back. I want to stay here for a few more minutes. Make sure he's snug as a bug in a rug," Charlotte slowly stood and walked to the Zane's crib. She gently placed him back down and pulled the blanket to his chest. "Go on."

Cooper wrapped an arm around Charlotte's waist, kissing her head. "The bed's kinda lonely without you. So I'll wait until you're ready," he said softly. "I'm content staying here, just watching him." Truthfully, he just didn't want to leave her side yet.

Charlotte sighed, reveling in the warmth of Cooper's arms. She leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling his patience and trust. She was grateful for that, having someone who loved her so much in her life despite her flaws.

"Coop, I don't know if I've said to you lately but I love you," she placed her hand on top of his, her gaze still fixed on a sleeping Zane. "I know you don't hear it much from me because I'm usually always comin' or goin' and my mind's always on somethin' else, but I love you."

Cooper maneuvered himself around Charlotte, wrapping his arms around her from behind. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he looked down at the baby boy and whispered. "It's okay, Char. Even when you don't say it, I just know. I always know."

~end chapter

* * *

_**Stay tuned for next Friday's installment**: Cooper and Violet catch up...and Charlotte makes a new friend?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - Sleepless Nights and Long Days**

Charlotte finished writing a note in her patient's file, her last one of the morning before she had to head to St. Ambrose for the remainder of the day. It had been a peaceful one so far and hoped it would continue for the duration despite having to spend it at the hospital. The previous night didn't afford Charlotte with much sleep, seeing as how Zane was up for most of it. As a result, the day felt like it was dragging and she wanted more than anything for the hours to move on by so she could relax at home. Yet, at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a sense of worry, thinking about why her nephew hadn't been sleeping well as of recently.

"_Coop, are you sure he's not comin' down with anything?" Charlotte stood next to Cooper, her hand rubbing Zane's back. _

_Cooper shook his head and started to pace back and forth in the room, hoping the movement would soothe the child. "No. I checked his temperature and it's normal. I think he's just tired…or over tired."_

"_Is over tired even a word?" Charlotte asked, running her hand through her hair. She was concerned for the baby boy and at the same time, felt helpless because nothing she or Cooper did provided any comfort. "I wish babies could talk and tell us what's wrong. It'd be so much simpler."_

"_Well they can't. So we're just going to have to figure this out ourselves," Cooper chided. Immediately realizing his tone, he reached out to the blonde. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."_

_Charlotte stood by the crib for a moment, arms crossed in front of her chest and glaring at Cooper. After a few seconds, her anger dissipated and held her arms out. "Here, give him to me. Maybe I can get him to stop."_

_Cooper transferred Zane into the blonde's arms but the crying continued, which in turn caused more worry. "Maybe we need to take him for a drive. I remember reading somewhere that babies find it soothing."_

"_Are you crazy Coop? It's two in the mornin' and we both have patients coming in at nine," Charlotte gently bounced Zane in her arms, hoping it would give him some comfort. _

"_It's worth a try," Cooper brought his hand to Zane's back. "I'll drive. You can stay in the back seat with him."_

_Charlotte pursed her lips together, not amused at the suggestion but at this point in time, was willing to try anything in hopes it would get Zane back to sleep. "Fine. Go put on a pair of pants and grab a bottle for Zane. I hope this works."_

"_I hope so too."_

Cooper would end up being right on how going for a drive would stop Zane's crying, but the unfortunate part was how they were out until sunrise. Every time Cooper pulled back into the driveway, Zane's crying resumed, which resulted in him pulling back out and making another trip around the neighborhood. Charlotte eventually fell asleep in the backseat next to Zane, which brought Cooper some relief, despite knowing that she'd still be cranky come time for her to wake.

And now it was noon and Charlotte was fighting exhaustion. Grabbing her bag, she pushed her chair back and walked out of her office, pulling the door shut behind her. She walked down the corridor and stopped at Cooper's office, sticking her head inside.

"Hey, I'm done here for the morning. You gonna be okay with him?" she asked, noticing the sleepy look in his eyes.

Cooper raised a tall mug filled with coffee and nodded. "I'll be fine. He just went down for a nap."

"You look like you could use one too," Charlotte said sympathetically while stifling a yawn.

"The same could be said for you," he smiled tiredly. "You headed to St. Ambrose?"

"Yeah, I'm there for the rest of the day. I'll see you at home," giving him an affirmative nod before walking away.

Cooper grabbed his coffee cup and sat back in his chair. He took a healthy sip and swallowed, grateful for the source of caffeine that was getting him through the day. His gaze fell on Zane, watching him sleep which was a relief given the night he and Charlotte had. Morning was now afternoon, but time didn't matter to him at the moment with how tired he was feeling.

He remembered waking Charlotte up after they had pulled into the driveway. After shutting the driver's side door as gently as possible, he stood outside the car for a few seconds, before going into the back seat to retrieve Zane and wake the blonde. While Zane seemed to be in much calmer spirits than the hours prior, it was waking Charlotte that he wished he didn't have to do. He knew how she cherished any sleep she could get, given her issues with insomnia in the past. But he couldn't wait any longer since they needed to get ready for work, along with getting Zane ready for the day also.

"You look like hell," spoke the familiar voice from the doorway.

Cooper looked up from his cup of coffee and motioned for Violet to come in. "Long night."

The brunette looked over at Zane before sitting down on the couch. "Let me guess. He kept you up."

"And Charlotte too. I think I must have circled the neighborhood at least a dozen or so times before he finally calmed down."

"Oh, the sleepless nights. Good thing Lucas is past that."

Cooper took another sip of coffee. "Got any other suggestions besides taking him for a ride in the car?" he asked. "Because I'm not sure Charlotte and I want to spend another night driving around. If you think I look bad, she's ten times worse."

"Have you tried just walking around the house? Maybe going up and down the stairs?" Violet suggested. "Or just sitting out back on the deck? The sound of waves crashing could be soothing for him."

"We didn't want to wake the neighbors, but I'll keep that in mind for next time," Cooper committed the advice to memory. "I never realized how tiring it is being a dad. I don't give Pete enough credit."

Violet smiled. "Thought it'd be easy, huh? Just take care of the child's needs and everything else just falls into place?"

"Well, I don't mean it like that. Don't get me wrong, I love kids and I love Zane," he said, looking over at the sleeping child. "And I've always pictured myself as a dad. I just never thought it would happen this soon. I was thinking, you know, Charlotte and I get married first and then we make the babies."

"Understandable. Going from a couple to an instant family is quite a change. Tell me Coop, how has that been for you?"

Cooper finished the last of his coffee and set down his cup. He sat back in his chair and thought about the question. After a minute, he finally spoke. "In a word, unexpected."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"Are you shrinking me?"

"No, I'm just talking to you as a friend."

"But it sounds like you are."

"I'm not. Believe me, Coop. I just want to know how you're doing. You've been so busy the past few weeks and I miss my friend."

"Oh," Cooper said, realizing that he hadn't really spoken with Violet lately with everything going on. "I'm good. It's been a little crazy, but I have Charlotte…and we're getting married and we're raising her nephew as though he's our own."

"Sounds like you've got everything you wanted in life."

"Not quite. But that'll come in time."

Brow furrowed, Violet wondered what else Cooper would want since Zane now completed the family he always pictured having. "And what, may I ask is it? What more could you want?"

Cooper shrugged, half smiling. "Someone for Zane to grow up with."

"Ah, a baby with Charlotte," Violet understood. "I'm sure that will still happen."

"I know. I'm not worried about that," he replied. "I was thinking she and I wait until Zane turns two, that way we'd have a year under our belts with him. And really, I'd love for him to have a playmate. Besides, kids are something Charlotte knows I want. And I think now, with Zane, she's softened to the idea."

"How so?"

Cooper's smile spread from ear to ear, remembering the night when Charlotte had been up late with Zane. "The other night, maybe three in the morning…I can't remember, but I woke up to find her side of the bed empty," he explained, heart filling with warmth as he recalled the details. "I thought, maybe Charlotte was downstairs watching TV because she couldn't sleep, but then I heard her voice on the baby monitor. She was in Zane's room, calming him down. So I got out of bed and went over to his room. And when I got there, I saw Charlotte sitting in the rocking chair with Zane in her arms and she's humming to him," he smiled as though the image was still fresh in his mind. "It was sweet, just watching her with him. And it made me think about what it'll be like when we have our own baby."

Violet looked at Cooper, returning his smile with one of her own. "That's wonderful. It's moments like those you'll want to treasure forever." She reflected on her own experiences with Lucas. "You've always had faith in Charlotte. Even when you said she had doubts about herself."

"Yeah," he nodded. "The only reason why she was so resistant to the idea of kids was because of her mother. And it really wasn't so much resistance, but just her being scared. With Zane in our lives now, it's changed her a bit. I mean, she's still the same Charlotte we know, but she's a little more open now. She's so loving."

"I think it depends on who she's talking to, because Charlotte's still working the same attitude with me, despite what you may have heard."

"Well, you can't really expect her to suddenly want to be best friends. Then I'd have to share you."

"I just thought, you know… she and I would find some common ground," Violet said, glancing at Zane. "Maybe bond since I have Lucas and she's got her nephew."

Cooper chuckled. "I don't think Charlotte's the bonding type."

"It was just a thought," Violet replied, seemingly somewhat disappointed. She had hoped this could be the one thing that could spark a friendship with Charlotte.

"Well, you and I can bond. So tell me has Pete ever taken a bubble bath with Lucas?" he grinned, wondering if he was alone in his ideas of bath time fun.

* * *

It would take two strong cups of coffee for Charlotte to get through the afternoon at St. Ambrose. Her hopes for a peaceful afternoon immediately went out the window when she was greeted with a stack of messages that needed tending to. Between returning calls and dealing with issues in the ER, to say her afternoon was a long one would be an understatement.

Things finally calmed down late in the day, which was a relief for Charlotte. After taking one last walk around to make sure nothing else needed taking care of, she found herself standing in the at the window to the nursery in the maternity ward, staring at the newborns.

"Hey," a familiar voice approached. "Surprised to find you here."

Charlotte turned to look at Addison. "I was doing an end of the day walk-through," she replied, bringing her gaze back to the newborn infants. "Ended up here for some unknown reason."

"Precious, aren't they?" Addison said, her eyes falling on the baby girl directly in front of them. "I delivered her last night. Her parents named her Andrea, but they're going to call her Andi."

"You like to get personal with your patients, huh?" Charlotte cast a sideways glance. Being a hospital administrator never really afforded her an opportunity to know everyone who came in and out on a daily basis. The same couldn't be said for the ones she saw at Oceanside, as those were the ones she made an effort to know.

Addison nodded. "I like to. It often helps if I want them to trust me," she turned to the blonde, only now noticing how tired she looked. "Long day?"

"You could say that."

"How's Zane?"

"He's good."

"And you?"

Charlotte looked at Addison, eyebrow raised. "I don't remember sayin' yes to playing twenty questions."

"Sorry," Addison apologized.

Charlotte bit down on her lower lip. She knew the redhead meant well and here she was taking out her exhaustion on her. "It's okay," she sighed a little. "Just tired and this is the first time today I've gotten a chance to take a breath."

"Maybe you should head home then," Addison suggested, turning around and leaning against the wood railing along the nursery wall. "I can give you a ride, if you'd like. We are practically neighbors."

"No, I've got my car. I can drive myself home," the blonde rejected the offer, softening her tone a little. "But thanks."

"Just thought I'd put it out there."

Charlotte looked at her watch and straightened her coat. "I should get going. Cooper's probably waitin' for me on dinner. Good night."

"Good night, Charlotte. Get home safe," Addison said, watching the blonde walk down the corridor before bringing her attention back to the newborns.

* * *

The sun was about to set when Charlotte arrived home. She dropped her keys onto the table by the door and walked into the living room where she found Cooper sitting on the ottoman, holding Zane who was standing with his help.

"First the left foot and then the right foot and then the left foot again," he said to the baby boy, who was amused at the activity. "Come on, it's easy. Left, right, left, right."

"What are you doin'?" Charlotte asked from the entryway, before moving further into the living room.

"Just helping the little guy take his first steps."

"He'll start walkin' when he's good and ready to. Leave him be, Coop."

Cooper pouted. "He's a year old. And he should be walking and talking by now."

"Like I said, he'll start when he's good and ready," she countered, bending down to kiss Zane on the top of the head. Walking into the kitchen, she saw a covered plate of food on the table. "This for me?" she asked.

"Yeah. I can heat it up if you want."

"Could you? I'm just gonna get changed," Charlotte went up the steps. "I'll be right back."

Cooper uncovered the plate of food and placed it in the microwave. While waiting, he turned his attention back to Zane who was sitting on the floor playing with some toys. It didn't take long for the food to heat up and he placed the hot plate on the table, waiting for Charlotte to return downstairs. Ten minutes would go by and she had yet to come back down, causing him to wonder what was taking her so long.

Picking Zane up off the floor, Cooper climbed the stairs and opened the bedroom door. "Babe?" he said, thinking Charlotte wasn't downstairs yet because she got stuck on a phone call. "Your food is getting cold."

To his surprise he was wrong when he walked into the bedroom and found Charlotte asleep on the bed. He saw she had changed her clothes, but surmised she didn't have the energy to make it back downstairs given the past 24 hours and the lack of sleep. Not wanting to wake her so she could eat dinner, Cooper grabbed the blanket and covered her.

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he whispered softly. "Good night."

Cooper walked out of the bedroom, gently pulling the door shut behind him. Carrying Zane in his arms, they went back downstairs and turned on the television. Cooper sat with him on the couch, holding the remote in his hand.

"So, it's just you and me tonight, buddy. Wanna watch some sports?" he began flipping channels. Every time he stopped, he heard Zane whimper, causing him to change to another channel. "Lakers? No? Hockey?" he asked, looking over at Zane. "Okay, not a hockey fan." Finally, he came upon a channel geared towards children's programming. "The Wiggles?"

Zane clapped his hands, his attention focused on the screen.

Cooper set the remote down and put his feet up on the table. "Alright, Wiggles it is."

~end chapter

* * *

**_Coming attractions for next Friday: _**_Charlotte finds a friend in Naomi. Zane reaches a milestone._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - Milestones**

Cooper stood in front of the refrigerator with a cup of coffee in hand, scanning the shelves. It amazed him how fast they were going through food these days, recalling they never had to restock as often when they were living together at the loft. His gaze landed on the almost empty container of milk, realizing that they'd need to make a trip to the grocery store. If there was one thing they could not run out of in the house, it was milk.

"Charlotte, we need to go to the store today!" he shouted to the blonde, who was upstairs changing Zane. "We're almost out of milk!"

"Geezus Cooper, I can hear you just fine. No need to yell," Charlotte said as she descended the staircase with Zane in her arms. She passed him to Cooper and grabbed a mug from the cabinet. "Now, as you were saying. We're out of milk…weren't we plannin' on going on a grocery today anyway?" she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah," he replied, putting his empty coffee mug in the sink. He reached for a small plastic container from the rack and poured some cereal into it. With Zane perched on his other arm, he held the container to the little boy who reached for a piece of cereal. "Should we make a list or something?"

"No, don't think we need to. But it'd be nice if you changed out of your pajamas."

Cooper looked down, realizing he was still in his shorts and t-shirt while Charlotte on the other hand was dressed for the day. He passed Zane to her. "I'll be right back."

* * *

Charlotte walked alongside Cooper who pushing the cart up the produce section. As they walked by, random people would smile at them, most likely because of Zane. It didn't dawn on Charlotte for a few moments that it was a majority of women smiling at Cooper and Zane.

"Now I see why you like taking Zane to the store with you," Charlotte muttered, stopping in front of the oranges. "You enjoy all the attention you get from the women."

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about," he smirked, denying the accusation.

Charlotte tilted her head to him, raising an eyebrow. "You know exactly what I'm talkin' about." She looked around, noticing one woman who was watching him from the distance. "See, like her. She's lookin' at you right now."

Cooper followed the blonde's gaze. "No she's not," he replied with a laugh. "Like I said, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, she was," Charlotte placed a bag of oranges into the cart.

They moved further down the aisle, Charlotte picking out other fruits and vegetables, placing them into their half filled cart. Turning the corner, Cooper spotted some familiar faces.

"Hey guys," Cooper stopped the cart, greeting Violet and Pete, who were also doing some food shopping with Lucas in tow. "Weekend grocery run?"

"Yeah," Violet replied, spotting Lucas' favorite cereal and placing a box in the cart. "Looks like the same for you and Charlotte." She looked at Zane and smiled. "Hi cutie."

Zane held up his toy car to Violet and giggled back.

"We were out of milk, among other things," Cooper said, wondering where Charlotte disappeared to.

"That's why we buy in bulk," Pete grinned. He maneuvered his cart around Cooper. "I'm going to grab a couple more things. Meet you by the registers," he said to Violet. Before walking away, he turned to Cooper. "The three of you are still coming?"

It took Cooper a few seconds to remember what was going on later in the day. "The barbecue. Yeah, of course."

The confused look from Cooper did not go unnoticed by Violet. "You forgot, didn't you?"

Cooper tilted his head, smiling ruefully. "Yeah… but no worries, we'll be there."

"Good. It's been a while since we've all gotten together."

"A while, as in never?"

"Well, you and Pete have your poker nights with the guys every now and then, while we girls have our own nights."

"Without Charlotte."

"Hey, we ask her and she says no," Violet replied, as though she was trying to defend herself when there was no need to. "Anyhow, it'll be fun," she noticed Pete standing by the registers, which meant it was time for her to go. "I'll see the three of you later."

Cooper moved the cart aside so Violet could walk around it. He saw Charlotte coming toward him, carrying a couple more items in her arms. "We got everything?" he asked, looking at what the blonde added. "Looks like we're still missing one more thing."

Charlotte stared at the cart with Cooper for a second, running through the mental list she had made in her head. Looking at him, they spoke simultaneously. "Milk."

* * *

Charlotte sat with a drink in hand, her attention focused on Zane who was playing with Lucas. At first, she was reluctant about going to the barbecue, but realized it was probably good that they went, seeing as how it would give Zane a chance to be out, a welcome change from spending his days at the practice while they worked.

"So, it looks like the boys are getting along," Naomi sat down next to Charlotte. She brought her wine glass to her mouth and took a sip.

"Which boys? The little ones or the big ones?" Charlotte chuckled.

Naomi looked across the patio and then to Lucas and Zane who were playing on a blanket that was laid across the grass. "I was going to say Zane and Lucas, but I see the big boys are having themselves a good time, also."

Charlotte nodded her head in agreement. "It's the first time in a while Cooper's been able to let loose. So today is for him."

"And how have you been?" Naomi asked. She followed Charlotte's gaze over to where Lucas and Zane were playing. "He's precious."

"That he is," the blond agreed. She brought her attention back to Naomi. "Just unfortunate how he'll never get to know his daddy."

"I know. But he's got you and Cooper," Naomi replied, unable to fathom what life for Olivia would have been like if Maya had suffered the same fate. "I'm not saying the both of you are replacements, but the important thing is that Zane is with family that loves and cares about him."

Charlotte smiled slightly. "Right."

The two of them sat for the next few minutes not saying much and just watching what was going on around them. Cooper, Pete, Sam and Sheldon were busy standing by the grill, sharing a laugh while Addison, Amelia and Violet were having their own conversation at the opposite end of the patio.

Looking to make some conversation, Naomi brought her attention back to Charlotte. "I know you're not a very open person," she began, earning a raised eyebrow from the blonde. "But I think of you as a friend, so I hope you don't mind me asking how you're doing? Last time we had a chance to sit down and talk, we were talking about you and Cooper getting married in the fall."

"We're still plannin' on it," Charlotte replied.

"Oh, I just thought the both of you would postpone…" Naomi said, somewhat surprised.

"Because Cooper and I have an unexpected addition?" the blonde finished the other woman's thought. "I still think it can be done. It's not like I'm going all out for this wedding. No need for lots of bells and whistles. I'd like it to be small, sweet and to the point."

Naomi understood. She could sense from the type of person Charlotte was, having a big, white wedding wasn't her kind of thing. "Simple is good. It makes for less headaches."

"Got that right," Charlotte chuckled. "Although with Cooper and his parents, I'm not sure what to expect. I suppose he and I should talk about that one of these days. Life's been busy considerin'."

"I know," Naomi glanced over her shoulder at Zane. "How's that going?"

"A bit tryin' at first, but Cooper and I have it down now. Or I think we do. Everyday's an adventure, especially when it feels like it's two kids I got underfoot," she smirked, thinking about those random moments when she'd watch Cooper playing with Zane. "But that's Cooper for you. He was made to be a daddy."

"And you?"

"I'm good. I still have my moments where I doubt myself, but it's happening less and less. Never thought I'd say this, but that little boy has really found a way into my heart."

Naomi laughed. "Well, you're not heartless."

"Tell that to my staff," Charlotte laughed. "Some of 'em still think I'm a bitch," she brought her drink to her mouth and took a sip. "But back to talking about Zane. It wasn't that long ago that Cooper and I had this argument about having kids. He wanted them and I told him how worried I was about not being the mommy type, how I was afraid I'd screw them up. Funny how certain events in life cause things to change."

"And now?"

"I'm lookin' at things a little differently now. Maybe I'm starting to come around to the idea of having kids with Cooper…in the future, that is."

Naomi smiled. "Why Charlotte King, are you going soft on me?"

"Maybe I am, but if you say it to anyone else, I'll deny it," Charlotte warned.

"Your secret is safe with me," Naomi swore.

The blonde found herself looking towards Zane again. "He's an angel though…Zane, I mean. Cooper and I have had him with us for two months now and I don't think I can imagine my life without him. My brother was right. That lil' smile of his just has a way of brightening up even your worst days."

"I know the feeling. It's the same for me whenever I have Olivia around."

Charlotte turned her attention back to Naomi. "This parenting thing, it never gets old, does it?" she asked with a bemused smile.

Naomi returned the blonde's facial expression with a smile of her own. "No, it really doesn't. I think you said it best earlier, everyday's an adventure. One of these days, when you have time, I'll tell you stories about Maya growing up."

"Thanks. I'd like that."

* * *

It was mid-evening when Cooper and Charlotte finally got back to the house. They ended up staying at the barbecue longer than planned, which turned out to be a good thing because it gave both of them time to reconnect with friends, something they didn't have a chance to do in the past few weeks. Even Charlotte would admit that she had a good time, talking with Naomi and being able to do something other than work or caring for Zane.

After getting Zane bathed and changed, Cooper was downstairs with the baby boy, sitting on the living room floor watching TV. Once again, he was at Zane's mercy, being subjected to another episode of The Wiggles. Cooper didn't seem to mind, as this was becoming a nightly routine for the both of them.

"I don't know about you, but I think Wags the Dog is becoming a favorite of mine," Cooper commented, leaning against the couch. "His tunes are really catchy." He looked over at Zane and couldn't believe his eyes. "Charlotte… Charlotte! Get down here!"

"I'll be down in a second!" the blonde shouted back.

"You'd better hurry! You need to see this!" Cooper kept his eyes on Zane, hoping Charlotte would get downstairs soon. "Stay right there, buddy. Zane's standing up! He's about to take his first steps!" he heard the sound of hurried feet rush down.

"I'm comin'… I'm comin'," Charlotte came down the staircase, arriving at Cooper's side in time to witness the sight. Together, they watched Zane tentatively take one step, then two, then three before falling on his rear. "Well I'll be… he's mobile now."

Cooper smiled. "Not like he wasn't before." He bent down and picked Zane up into his arms. "Don't worry Zane, you'll get the hang of this walking thing soon."

Charlotte reached over and smoothed down the child's blonde hair with her hand. "He most certainly will," she watched him yawn and rub his eyes. "But I think this little man has had his share of fun for the day. It's bedtime for him."

Cooper and Charlotte climbed up the steps and walked down the short hallway to Zane's room. Hoping the gentle movement would lull Zane to sleep, Cooper sat down in the rocking chair and rocked back and forth while holding the baby boy in his arms.

"Today was nice," Cooper spoke softly.

"Yeah, it was," Charlotte replied, leaning against the dresser. "I will admit, I'm glad we went. I saw you were havin' a good time talking with Pete and Sam."

"And Sheldon," Cooper added.

"Yes and Sheldon," Charlotte nodded. "Though the man could use a lil' help with his wardrobe."

Cooper's brow furrowed, trying to recall what Sheldon was wearing at the barbecue. "Yeah, I think so. The shirt he had on was a bit on the loud side, wasn't it?"

"Definitely different from what he wears to work," Charlotte chuckled, looking down at Zane. "I think he's asleep."

Cooper looked down at the baby boy, sleeping against his chest. "Out like a light," he slowly got up and went over to the crib, gently laying him down.

Charlotte pulled the blanket to Zane's chest, kissing her fingers and pressing them to his forehead. "Snug as a bug in a rug." Before leaving the room, she saw Cooper check that the nightlight and baby monitor were turned on then walked out into the hall. Together, they went to their bedroom, both of them climbing into bed.

"You know, now that he's walkin' we have to put up those baby gates," Charlotte reminded, settling against the pillows. "Last thing we need is him making his way to the stairs."

"I'll get that taken care of tomorrow," Cooper replied, making a mental note for himself. He leaned over and met Charlotte's lips for a kiss. "I'm glad you had a nice time today. I saw you talking with Naomi. Good to see the both of you becoming good friends."

Charlotte relaxed against Cooper's body, taking hold of his hand. "I guess we are…definitely something I never expected, becomin' friends with her. But I suppose that's a good thing. She's got a good soul and you know that's sayin' a lot considering how I don't like people much."

"Well, I'm glad you have a friend," Cooper ran his fingers through Charlotte's soft blonde hair.

"I am too," Charlotte yawned, closing her eyes. "I know I'm not one for sharin' my feelings and such, but I do like havin' someone to talk to about this parenting stuff. So I guess Naomi's it."

Cooper smiled, happy to hear how Charlotte was beginning to reach out to others, even if it was Naomi. Just having one person she could open up to was big for her and it made his heart feel good that Charlotte had that. Turning his head slightly, he saw the blonde had fallen asleep. Pressing one more kiss to her forehead, he whispered, "Good night," before wrapping his arm around her and closing his eyes, drifting off to sleep himself within minutes.

~end chapter

* * *

_**Stay tuned for next Friday's installment:** Charlotte bonds with Zane, Cooper and Charlotte go on a date, Addison gives Charlotte some reassurance_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Note:**_ I'd just like to thank all of my readers, those who have left me reviews and those who haven't but are lurking here, reading the story. It does my writer's heart a lot of good to see what you've all had to say about this story so far. I have a great joy in writing it and believe me, I'd love to post more than once a week, but I have my reasons for spreading out my posting of each chapter. You will agree, at least it's worth the wait, since I am updating regularly. What I am happy about is how everyone of you has been able to embrace the story I've created for Cooper and Charlotte, and the evolution in their characters as parents. This particular chapter was a fun one to write, so I hope you all sit back and enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 11 - Bonding and Reassurances**

It was the end of another busy day and once again, Charlotte found herself standing at the window of the hospital nursery. This was beginning to turn into a daily stop for her, not really knowing the reason why she felt compelled to end her day there, but it just seemed right. Some days, she'd stand there by herself for a while, staring at the newborn babies and think about her life with Cooper and Zane, and how lucky she was to have them. Other days, she'd have company, usually it was either Addison or Naomi.

Today she wasn't alone, as Addison casually joined her and stood by her side. "Hey, this is becoming a regular stop for you, isn't it?" the auburn haired doctor asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "Just my last stop during the end of the day walk-through I like to do. Not sure why it is, though. I think watchin' them has a calming effect."

"Guess I understand. Babies have a way of doing that," Addison responded. Her gaze moved from one newborn infant to another, a smile curling at her lips as she looked at each one of them.

"Miracle of life, I'll tell you that," the blonde commented. Like Addison, she couldn't keep her eyes on just one infant. She then focused her attention on one in particular, a baby boy swaddled in a blanket. It made her think of Zane, wondering if that's what he looked like in his first hours of life.

Addison turned head her to look at Charlotte for a few seconds. She couldn't help but notice the contemplative look in the blonde's eyes, curious as to what was going on inside her head. "They truly are," she replied. "I bet Zane does the same thing for you and Cooper. How is the little guy?"

"Walkin' his heart out all over the house," Charlotte replied with a small chuckle. "Cooper and I can barely keep up with him sometimes."

"I bet it wears the both of you out."

"Yeah, but Cooper doesn't mind. He likes chasin' the boy around. I just supervise and make sure no one gets hurt."

Addison laughed. "You make it sound like you're watching over two kids."

"Well, Cooper can be a big kid sometimes," Charlotte checked her watch before digging her hands into the pockets of her white coat. She knew it was almost time for her to head home, but a part of her didn't want to leave just yet. For some reason, she felt compelled to stay, not just to stand there and stare at all the babies, but because she was enjoying this talk with Addison. They had short conversations in the past during prior encounters, but today was different.

"Cooper's got fatherhood down pat, I can tell," Addison complimented, having witnessed how her colleague handled Zane's crying spat the other day at the practice, during a time when Charlotte was at the hospital. "Nothing fazes him."

"We've had Zane for a little over two months now and Cooper's a natural," Charlotte agreed. "There are times when I think the little man likes Cooper more than me. But I think it's because he spends more time with him than I do."

"Is that something you'd like to change?"

"What's that s'posed to mean?" the blonde finally turned her head to look at her colleague. She knew her remark came off as somewhat defensive, even though it wasn't intended that way. "Just because Zane's spendin' more time with Cooper doesn't mean I love him any less."

Addison smiled reassuringly. "Charlotte, relax. I didn't mean anything. I was just interpreting what you said. It sounds like you want to spend more time with your little boy."

_Your little boy. _It was the first time Charlotte heard someone refer to Zane in those words. Truthfully, he was hers and Cooper's in every sense, considering he was in their care and they were the ones raising him. "I do," nodding her head. "But with the job I got, sometimes getting home at a decent hour isn't possible. But I try. I really do try."

"Then that's what matters the most," Addison said comfortingly. "And you know, it's always the little things like reading him a story before you put him down that matter to when it comes to spending time with him. I remember doing it with Lucas when Violet went MIA for a bit."

Charlotte took her colleague's suggestion to mind and peered at her watch. "I should go. Nothin' left for me to take care of today. Have a good evening."

"You too, Charlotte," Addison responded, watching the blonde walk away.

* * *

"Alright, here we go, one more," Cooper scooped a tiny bit of pasta onto the spoon and brought it to Zane's tiny mouth. "Mmmm…" he said, mimicking the child's chewing. "Yummy right?"

Zane held up his tiny toy car to Cooper before gliding it across the tray in and around the small mess that was there. "Broom…." he gave the older man a gap-toothed smile.

Cooper smiled back at the baby boy. "You like it a lot, huh? Let's go for another one," he said, holding another tiny spoonful of pasta. "Open the hangar 'cause the airplane is coming in for a landing…" guiding the food into Zane's mouth. "That's my boy," he said, reaching for the napkin and wiping his cheek. "See, you finished all of it!"

Zane clapped his hands, his way of echoing Cooper's joy. "Daaaa…"

Cooper handed the baby boy his sippy cup filled with water. "Here you go, buddy. I'm gonna get this mess clean up before Charlotte gets home." He went to the sink and began washing the dishes he had used for dinner. Every now and then, he glanced over his shoulder at Zane, making sure the child was okay in his chair.

"I see you," he grinned at him from the sink. "Your sippy cup empty already?" he asked and saw Zane nod his head. "Give me another minute and I'll fill it back up."

Charlotte entered into the house, dropping her car keys on the table by the door. She walked into the kitchen, finding Cooper still at the sink and Zane seated in his high chair. Heading to Zane first, she leaned down and kissed the top of his blonde haired head. "Just finished dinner?" she surmised from looking at the small mess of pasta on Zane's tray and the stains on his bib.

Cooper turned off the water and dried his hands with the dishtowel. "The little guy is all fed. All that's left is his bath," he said, walking over with a damp paper towel to wipe up the mess on the tray. "I'll take him up in a bit."

"Coop, mind if I give Zane his bath tonight?" Charlotte said, uncovering the plate of food sitting on the table. She smiled, grateful Cooper had dinner ready and waiting for her. It was little things like this that she loved about him. Truly they were evolving into a functional family.

Dropping the paper towel into the trash can, Cooper looked back at her. "You want to? I figured with the long day you had, you wouldn't want to have bath time duty," he arched an eyebrow. "I'm fine with getting the little guy all cleaned up. You go and relax."

Charlotte swallowed her food before replying. "Yes I'm sure," she looked over at Zane, who was occupied with playing with his toys. "I'm givin' you a break from daddy duty tonight. So let me do it, okay?"

Cooper stood in place for a few seconds before finally relenting. He bent down and met Charlotte's lips for a kiss. "Okay, you get to have the bath time fun with him. Just remember, he likes for you to squeeze the rubber ducky and push the toy boat around."

"Duly noted," the blonde laughed, continuing to eat her dinner.

Later that evening, Charlotte was kneeling in front of the bathtub, as Cooper said before, pushing Zane's toy boat around. Periodically, she had to shield her eyes from the water splashing in her face, but not once did she let it bother her. As she knelt there, giving Zane his bath, she thought about her conversation with Addison earlier. Obviously, she took those words to heart, spending a part of her evening with the little boy.

"Duck!" he babbled, pointing to his rubber duck.

"Yes, duck," she reached over and squeezed it, causing him to laugh.

"Duck!"

"Okay, Little Man. Let's get to dried off and into your pajamas," Charlotte said, lifting him out of the bathtub and wrapping a towel around him. She carried Zane into his room and laid him on the changing table. "Quit bein' a squirmy worm, will ya," she chuckled at the giggling baby boy, trying to get him to lay still. It would take her a few minutes to get him dressed, but soon enough, she succeeded and picked him up.

Carrying him to the corner of the room, she sat down in the rocking chair and put her feet up on the foot rest. Zane looked at her, patted her cheek and yawned. "Someone's ready for bed," she inhaled the fresh scent of baby shampoo in his hair, cradling him in her arms. Slowly, she began rocking back and forth, humming quietly. Soon, the hums turned into a melody, Charlotte softly singing the words to a lullaby.

"As you lay sleepin' on my chest, a million thoughts run through my head. Someday you'll think, you're too big to hold," she sang soothingly. "You'll spill milk on my favorite dress, fall down and scare me to death. And you'll refuse to do anythin' you're told," watching Zane's eyes slowly close, she continued to rock back and forth, closing her own eyes. "And I'll be so mad, that I'm almost in tears. But you'll smile that smile and they all disappear. Sometimes you'll hide, your perfect wings. But through these eyes all I'll ever see, is that sweet angel of mine."

Unbeknownst to Charlotte, Cooper had been standing at the door the whole time, watching her put Zane to sleep. Leaning against the doorway, his heart swelled with warmth, having never heard Charlotte sing before. While he knew she didn't have the best voice, her love for the child was definitely there and that's what mattered most. Still, the sight was touching and it made him wish he could take a picture of it so the memory could be preserved forever.

Charlotte opened her eyes and looked up, noticing Cooper standing at the door. She continued to rock back and forth in the chair, not wanting to disturb Zane. "He went down pretty easy tonight," she spoke softly, looking at the sleeping baby in her arms.

Cooper quietly walked into the room and knelt down next to her. "Where's that song from?"

"What?"

"The song I heard you singing to him," he said, smoothing down Zane's blonde hair. "Where's it from?"

"Oh, it's just something that was on a CD Duke gave me before we left," Charlotte replied, wondering how much Cooper had heard. "The song is called Sweet Angel of Mine. Duke said his wife Daisy started singin' it to Zane the night after Landry and Shelley died. From what Duke tells me, it calms him down."

"It's sweet."

Charlotte felt Zane stir slightly, still cradling him in her arms. "It is. Not sure what got into me, I was humming it at first, started singin' the words before I could realize I was doin' it."

"Well, it did the trick," Cooper smiled. "I should let you put him to bed every night, since it looks like you have the magic touch," he leaned over, ready to take Zane from her so they could put him in his bed.

"It's okay, I've got him," Charlotte assured, not wanting to let the baby boy leave her arms just yet. "Why don't you head on to bed. I'll be there in a lil' bit. I just want to spend a little more time with him before I put him down."

Cooper moved closer and pressed a kiss to Charlotte's lips. "I'll see you in bed."

"I won't be long," the blonde responded. "Just gonna be here a few more minutes."

"Okay," he slowly got up onto his feet and tiptoed out of the room.

Still holding a sleeping Zane in her arms, Charlotte started humming softly once again. She leaned her head back in the chair, gently rocking back and forth, completely relishing this time with him.

Cooper peered through the blinds of Sam's office, checking to see if his colleague was busy. He gently knocked on the door before sticking his head inside. "Hey, I need a favor."

* * *

Sam looked away from his computer screen and up at Cooper. "Depends on what it is," he watched the other doctor come into his office, shutting the door behind him. "Okay, so this is serious. What do you need?"

Cooper sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. He thought for a moment on how to word his request. "Charlotte and I haven't had a night out in a while. And I was thinking of taking her to dinner," he explained, hoping Sam would agree to the favor. "But we'd need someone to watch Zane for the evening…and I was wondering if you and Addison were free, could you maybe…"

Sam didn't reply for a few seconds, sitting in his chair with his fingers pressed together as though he were thinking about the request. "Sure, I'd say Addison and I are willing to babysit," he replied, already knowing his girlfriend would agree regardless of the fact that he said yes for the both of them. "So a date night? Dinner and a movie?"

"Just dinner," Cooper responded, relieved that Sam agreed to watching Zane for the evening. "Nothing too fancy. I was thinking dinner at an Italian restaurant, a little break from the kiddo for a few hours, you know."

"Understandable," Sam nodded. He sympathized with Cooper, knowing that every now and then parents did need a break from the kids. "So, what time should Addison and I come by?"

"Seven. I made reservations for eight."

"Alright, we'll come by at seven."

"Great," Cooper stood up. "Thanks for this. I owe you one."

Sam jokingly dismissed the gratitude with a wave of his hand, "No need to. Been there, done that. We'll see you later."

* * *

Charlotte's phone rang at her desk, interrupting her quiet afternoon of productivity while Zane napped a short distance away. She quickly answered the call, pressing the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi Lottie, just thought I'd say to see how things were goin'."

The blonde immediately recognized her brother's voice and welcomed the interruption. "Hi Duke. Things are fine here. Just busy as always."

"And little Zane? How's the boy doing?" Duke asked.

Charlotte turned in her chair, looking towards the sleeping boy in his playpen. "Gettin' bigger everyday. He's napping right now. Cooper's gonna take him for the rest of the day while I head over to the hospital," she checked the clock to see how much time she had before it was time for her to go. "Other than that, everything is fine."

"Alright, now how about you, Lottie? How you been these days?"

"I'm doin' okay, Duke," Charlotte responded, touched by her brother's concern. "I had my qualms at first, but now, not so much. Zane's really become a big part of my life and Cooper's. I'm not sure if I told you this, but the lil' man is walkin' now."

"Oh really? That's wonderful to hear. I bet you and Cooper are chasin' him all over the place."

"Mainly around the house…wherever his tiny legs take him."

"I remember when Jacob started walkin'. I had to make sure I knew where he was at all times and believe me, there were times where I thought I lost the kid in this big house of mine."

Charlotte laughed. "Well, Cooper and I always make sure one of us is lookin' after Zane. And our house isn't as big as yours, so no way we'd lose the boy."

"Then you and Cooper are farin' better than I did. You don't wanna know the sorts of things Jacob got his hands into when I wasn't looking. So, how are you and Cooper? I'm hopin' all is well."

"Yes, all is well," she said, looking over and seeing Zane stir. Slowly, he sat up and peered through the netting of his playpen. Charlotte went over and handed him a stuffed duck that had been tossed aside during his nap. "I'm actually gettin' ready to bring Zane over to him in a few minutes."

"Where you headed off to?"

"My Chief of Staff duties over at the hospital," she responded, gathering up Zane's things and putting them into the bag.

"Busy, eh? Between you workin'and raising Zane, where you findin' the time to plan your wedding? Are you and Cooper still looking at a September ceremony?"

"Nothin's changed, Duke. I'm thinking Cooper and I can still pull it off," she looked around her office, making sure she had everything. "I'm not puttin' on a big, white wedding. It's goin' to be small and simple. You're still coming, right?"

"Of course, I am. I wouldn't miss it."

Charlotte grabbed the baby bag and draped the strap over her shoulder. "Good. Alright, I'm gonna have to cut this call short so I can bring Zane over to Cooper. We'll talk again in a few days."

"Sure thing, Lottie. Take care."

"You too," Charlotte placed the phone back in its cradle and grabbed her purse. She bent down and picked up Zane. "Let's get you over to Coop," she said, walking towards her fiancee's office and going inside. After placing him down in the playpen that was set up in there, she dropped Zane's bag on his couch. "He just woke up from his nap. So he might be hungry. You also might want to keep an eye on him. He's been feelin' a bit punchy all mornin'."

Cooper picked Zane up into his arms, brushing his blonde hair back with his fingers and feeling his forehead with the back of his hand. "He's a little warm," he replied, some concern in his voice. "I don't think it's anything to be too concerned about. It could just be a cold."

Charlotte went over to them and reached up, pushing some of Zane's hair away from his face. "Just keep an eye on him. Right now, I need to go. I'm already runnin' late as it is. Duke called, held me up a bit."

"Oh, how's he doing?"

"Doin' well."

"Hey Char?" Cooper called out, just as the blonde was about to walk out the door. "What time do you think you'll be done today?"

Charlotte's brow furrowed. "I don't know, maybe six? Why?"

"I made dinner reservations for the two of us tonight," he said, hoping she'd be up for going out in the evening. "Sam and Addison agreed to watch Zane for a few hours. I figured we could use a night out, just the two of us."

Charlotte tilted her head slightly, giving him a thoughtful smile. While she was hesitant at the idea of going out when it looked like Zane was getting sick, she relented, knowing Cooper was doing this for the both of them. "Alright. I'll make sure I'm home a little after six then. But for now, I need to go. I'll see you later."

* * *

Cooper transferred Zane into Addison's arms, brushing the back of his hand along his forehead. "He's got a little bit of the sniffles, but other than that, he should be fine," he advised, running his fingers through his hair. "Of course you've got my cell and Charlotte's so I don't need to worry about that. And it's just dinner, so we're not going to be out too late."

Sam placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Cooper, we've got this one. You and Charlotte should go and enjoy yourselves. Zane's in good hands."

Cooper looked over at Addison, who was walking around with Zane at the other end of the living room. "Yeah, I know. Just can't help it, I guess," he replied, checking his watch. "Charlotte, we need to leave soon. I don't want to be late for our reservation," he shouted upstairs.

Charlotte came down within a minute, securing one of her earrings. "I'm ready. I'm ready," she said, stopping at the bottom of the steps and looking at Sam. "You two gonna be alright? You got our numbers and Coop told you where we will be. "

"Yes, it's all covered," Sam smiled. He guided Cooper and Charlotte towards the door. "Now, go to dinner. Addison and I will be fine."

"Call us if anything happens," Cooper said as he stepped out the front door.

"We will," Sam assured, practically shoving the other man outside before closing the door behind him. He turned around and walked back into the living room where Addison was seated on the couch with Zane and sat down next to her. "I thought they'd never get out that door."

* * *

Cooper held the door open for Charlotte, motioning for her to enter first. They were immediately ushered to their table, a corner booth in a part of the restaurant where it wasn't as noisy. While deciding what to have for dinner, Charlotte looked up from her menu and reached for Cooper's hand.

"What's that for?" he asked, not minding the gesture.

"For reminding me that sometimes we need a break from being parents," she responded, squeezing his hand. "We've been so busy that we've forgotten to take time for ourselves."

Cooper smiled. "I thought we could use an evening out. Sam was more than happy to do us the favor of watching Zane."

"I'll bet Addison was thrilled, knowin' how baby crazy she's been."

"Which is why I asked them and not Pete and Violet," he moved closer to Charlotte, wrapping his arm around her. "Let's have one caveat for tonight. No baby talk. I want us talk about other things."

Charlotte arched an eyebrow. "And what else exactly is there for us to talk about? Not like we can talk shop or anything."

"Maybe our wedding?" Cooper shrugged. "It's coming up in a few months. My mom called and she's bugging me about when I'm going to talk to a rabbi."

"And I thought I mentioned to you about talkin' to my pastor."

Before either of them could say something else, their food arrived, momentarily interrupting their conversation.

"Coop, how's this gonna work? How are we goin' to choose between pastor versus rabbi?"

"I thought we settled this already," Cooper suggested in between bites of food. "Pastor _and _rabbi."

Charlotte thought about the suggestion for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Or we could just get a justice of the peace to marry us and avoid the dilemma altogether."

"Yeah, my mother will be thrilled," Cooper replied with a hint of sarcasm. He used his fork to steal a morsel of food from Charlotte's plate. "But do you like the idea? We can have both."

"I don't see why not," the blonde said, continuing to work on the food that was still on her plate. "We still need to find a place to have the ceremony," she reminded, thinking to herself of possible locations in the area that could accommodate them on short notice.

"Obviously, we want it outdoors," Cooper immediately put the idea out there, as it had been something they discussed in passing. "And we want it on a Saturday, during sunset. How about the garden where Pete and Violet had their ceremony? I can't remember the name but I'll ask."

"Good. Now we just hope they'll let us use the space," Charlotte replied, unconsciously moving her fork around her plate. "But I don't see why not. We're not having some big party. The guest list isn't huge."

"I'll get it taken care of," Cooper reassured. "You can count on me for that. Now, how about we order some dessert, since it looks like you're done with your food," he said, noticing how Charlotte had been moving her food around with her fork.

Charlotte looked down, not realizing what she'd been doing. "Dessert sounds good." She motioned for the waiter to bring over the dessert menu.

While trying to decide what to have for dessert, Cooper's phone rang. He reached into his pocket and saw the caller id, "It's Sam," he answered the call. "Hey, what's up? "

"Hey Coop, I know you and Charlotte are having a night out…and I don't want to worry the both of you, but Zane's fever just spiked. Addison just gave him something and she's upstairs calming him down. You don't have to hurry home, but I thought we'd just call to let you know what was going on. We're taking care of him."

Cooper nodded, trying not to let the concern on his face show. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Charlotte to worry, when there was no need to since Zane was in capable hands. "Are you sure? Because we can…" listening to Sam tell him not to cut their night short. "Okay, thanks."

Charlotte was watching Cooper the whole time, wondering what the call was about. She suspected it was Sam calling about Zane, judging from the tone of his voice and the look on his face. Even though Cooper didn't have to say much, she began to worry. "What's goin' on? Why did Sam call?"

Cooper slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket. "Zane's fever spiked," he informed the blonde in the calmest of ways. "He said not to worry and that he and Addison have it taken care of. He didn't want us to cut our night out short."

"We should go home," Charlotte motioned for the waiter to bring over the check. "I know Sam said not to worry, but if Zane is sick, we need to go home and be there," she reached for her purse, searching the restaurant. "Where is our waiter and the check?"

"Charlotte, calm down," Cooper placed a comforting hand on her arm. "He's coming over right now. I'll pass him the cash and then we'll head home. Okay?" he said, trying to ease the worry she was feeling.

Charlotte relaxed her posture for a moment, exhaling a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Okay."

They arrived home a half hour later, Charlotte heading right up the staircase and into Zane's room, where Addison was walking back and forth with a crying Zane in her arms. "Give him here," she took the little boy from Addison, rubbing her hand up and down his back hoping it would soothe him. "I knew I should have trusted my gut and stayed in tonight. I had a feelin' earlier that he was coming down with something. But no, Cooper wanted to go out for dinner and said it was just a cold."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over this," Addison said comfortingly. "He was fine earlier. You didn't have to cut your night short, Sam and I were handling things."

Charlotte cast a glare at the auburn haired doctor. "And I'm here now, so there's really no need for you to stay. I think it's time you and Sam head home."

Addison bit the inside of her cheek, tempted to reply but decided to just walk away. Turning around, she left the room and headed downstairs where Sam and Cooper were talking at the bottom of the steps. "Well, I'd say Charlotte's got the mother bear role down pat. She just kicked me out of the room," Addison sat on the step above Sam and Cooper. "I never knew she had it in her, but she does."

Cooper smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I told her the two of you were taking care of Zane just fine."

"No, it's okay," Addison replied, pushing her hair behind her ear. "She's worried. I understand. I'm going to head back up and check on her."

Sam arched an eyebrow at his girlfriend. "Are you sure you want to do that? She'll probably tell you to go away."

"No, I don't think she will," Addison said confidently, standing up.

"Suit yourself," Sam replied. He turned to Cooper, "Want to bet she's back down here in two minutes?"

Addison looked into Zane's room and saw that Charlotte wasn't there. Walking down the short hall, she saw the door to the master bedroom open. She knocked lightly on the door and saw Charlotte sitting on the bed, leaning back against the pillows with Zane resting on her chest.

"Hey, I figured you'd be in here," Addison stood at the doorway.

Charlotte motioned for her to come inside. "Yeah, I needed to get off my feet."

Addison sat down at the foot of the bed, watching Charlotte slowly run her hand up and down the baby boy's back. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Charlotte nodded, trying to hide the worry on her face. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

"It's fine."

"I was just mad at myself," the blonde said solemnly. "You know, Violet once told me, when you have kids, your heart breaks for them a thousand times a day. But my heart just races. I just keep thinkin' that something could go wrong or I'm doin' something wrong," she said, expressing her worries out loud. "To this day, I still wonder why my brother picked me to raise is son."

Addison was at a loss, not quite sure how to respond. It was the first time she heard the blonde open up to her, which caught her by surprise a little bit. Then again, she should have seen it coming, considering the conversations they shared outside the hospital nursery as of late. "I think your brother figured that since you knew him best, you could tell Zane how great his dad was."

Charlotte looked down at the sleeping boy on her chest, sighing softly. "I just feel bad for him sometimes. I really do," she paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. "You know, it's like he's had tickets for this great Broadway show and he goes and sees in the program, the part of his mother and father will now be played by Charlotte King and Cooper Freedman," her gaze fell, pausing for a beat, "No one deserves understudies for parents."

"I'd see that show. And I know a few other people who'd come to that show too," Addison said, hoping her words offered a little comfort. "Thing is, you and Cooper aren't understudies. You're the real thing. Zane may be your nephew by relation, but he's become your son in every sense of the word. And the both of you are his parents now. You rushing home tonight, despite mine and Sam's reassurances that we had things under control, is what any normal parent would do. I would have done the same exact thing if it was me in your shoes."

Charlotte sat there, silently digesting what Addison said and finding some consolation in her words. Meeting her gaze, she smiled a little. "Thanks. It means a lot to hear that."

Addison returned the smile and stood up. "I should go. You don't need two extra doctors hanging around taking up space," she said, trying to lighten the moment. "I hope Zane feels better."

"Thanks," Charlotte said as Addison left the room. She slowly placed Zane down beside her on the bed and got up to change out of her dress. Twenty minutes later, she was back in the same spot, watching the baby boy sleep.

Cooper came into the room and went to change his clothes. Leaving the door slightly ajar, he walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in. He brought his hand to Zane's forehead, feeling it was still warm. "If you want, I can stay up and keep an eye on him" he said, noticing Charlotte's tired eyes. "You should sleep."

"No," she shook her head and yawned. "I'll stay up with you."

"Are you sure? You don't have to."

"Coop, I want to. I'm worried about our boy, so don't try talkin' me out of it."

Cooper reached across the sleeping boy and pushed away a lock of blonde hair from Charlotte's face. Together, they would stay up for the rest of the night with Zane sleeping between them, keeping watch over him. As daybreak came and Zane's fever had gone down, Charlotte surrendered to exhaustion, falling asleep next to him.

Returning from the bathroom, Cooper stood at the foot of the bed for a moment and gazed at the sight of Charlotte and Zane asleep. It was picture perfect, his little family soundly sleeping in bed. With Zane's fever having broken a short while earlier, he climbed back into bed and took advantage of this time to catch up on some sleep himself. After pressing a kiss to both their foreheads, he closed his eyes and drifted off to slumber, smile on his face with his family sleeping next to him.

~end chapter

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**_Stay tuned for next Friday's installment: _**_Cooper & Charlotte get a surprise visit... Charlotte tells Cooper something he's been waiting to hear for the longest time._


	12. Chapter 12

**_Author's Note:_** _Here we are again with your weekly installment. Please keep in mind, this chapter was written **before** the spoiler regarding how Cooper's parents feel about Charlotte were released. This is just my own spin, hence why I advised when this story started that this is alternate universe. _

_Once again, thank you to all of my readers who have commented and those who lurk. I love writing Charlotte's growth as a character and I think you'll like what she has to say to him in this chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Cooper moved around the living room, gathering a bunch of papers and putting them into his bag. Confident he had everything, he brought his attention to Charlotte, who was sleeping on the couch. She had been up earlier in the morning with Zane. Kneeling in front of her, he pushed back a lock of blonde hair away from her face and leaned down to kiss her.

Charlotte's eyes slowly fluttered open. She sat up, stretching her arms above her head. "You leavin' now?"

"I wish I didn't have to," he sighed, checking his watch. "Hopefully traffic won't be a pain later and I can get home as soon as this conference in Anaheim is over. You sure you'll be fine on your own with Zane?"

Charlotte cupped Cooper's face and nodded. "Yes, I'll be okay. I'm feelin' much better now than a few days ago," she moved her hand and patted him on the shoulder. "Now go, before you get stuck in traffic."

Cooper reluctantly stood, not wanting to leave. If he had his way, he would have skipped going to Anaheim and stayed home with Charlotte and Zane. While he knew she was more than capable of taking care of Zane by herself, his worry was more about Charlotte, who had been feeling under the weather during the week. Up until the night before, he wavered back and forth on going. Charlotte ended up making the decision for him, saying he should go instead of staying home where all he'd do was hover over her, which she found annoying.

He pressed one last kiss to her lips and grabbed his bag. "I'll be back tonight," he said. "If anything changes, you call me."

"I will. Now go," she pointed to the door.

"I'm going. I'm going."

Charlotte watched the door close behind Cooper. She leaned back on the couch, taking a deep breath and looking at the clock on the wall. It was nine in the morning and Zane was still asleep upstairs. Yawning, she contemplated heading back to the bedroom maybe getting another hour of sleep, after being up early in the morning because Zane had been fussy.

She decided against the idea and went over to her bag, pulling out a large folder that held a bunch of files she had brought home with her. Normally, Charlotte was someone who didn't like bringing work home with her, but made an exception this time because of the last few days. Taking advantage of the quiet time while she still had it, she opened the first file and began looking it over.

Three hours later and her work complete, Charlotte was upstairs in Zane's room, changing his diaper and putting him in a new outfit for the day. She smiled down at the boy, who was giving her a smile of his own, holding his arms out. Charlotte picked up the little boy and placed him down on the floor, letting him run to the corner to grab a toy. He returned to her side and held his toy car out to her.

"Oh, you want me to push it around? Um, okay…" she said, sitting down on the floor. Taking it from him, she placed the toy car on the carpet and pushed it towards him. "You like that, huh?" Sitting there, she realized this was the first time in a long while she was spending some quality time with the little boy.

Zane laughed, leaning down and pushing the toy car with all his might back to Charlotte. "Caaa…" he babbled to her. "Brrooom…"

Charlotte smiled. "Yeah, that's a car." She pointed to the toy. "And it's red. Can you say red?" As she was sending the red car back in Zane's direction, the doorbell rang. "Hmmm… wonder who that could be?" grabbing the toy, she picked Zane up off the floor and headed downstairs. She peeked through the curtain on the window by the door and saw Naomi standing outside.

Opening the door, Charlotte saw Naomi wasn't alone, holding the hand of a little toddler. "Hey, what brings you by?"

"Well, we were in the neighborhood," Naomi replied, keeping hold of Olivia's hand.

Charlotte cast a skeptical look at her colleague, arching an eyebrow. "Cooper told you to stop by, didn't he?"

Naomi stood there for a moment, giving the most innocent look at the blonde before giving in. "Fine, yes he did. But he did it because he thought Olivia and Zane could have a play date," she saw Charlotte tilt her head to the side. "Okay and he figured you could use the company for a little while. I don't plan on staying the whole day, but I did bring lunch," holding up a paper bag full of food.

Charlotte switched Zane to her other hip and stepped aside. "Come on in," she said, letting Naomi and Olivia enter. Following them into the living room, she set Zane down on the floor with Olivia, the two of them making busy with the toys that were there. Sitting down on the couch, she saw Naomi taking the food out of the bag. "That's quite a spread you brought."

Naomi placed to containers of pasta salad on the coffee table, some fruit, as well as something for the kids to eat. "I figured I'd cover all the bases. I wasn't sure what you were in the mood for, so I thought maybe some pasta salad?"

Charlotte grabbed a plastic fork and reached for one of the containers, removing its lid. "Pasta salad is right up my alley."

"Good, because I wasn't sure if you were going to like it. But now I know."

They spent the next hour eating, followed by feeding Zane and Olivia. Surprisingly, feeding the little ones was as challenging as they thought it would be, considering how Zane seemed more interested in playing with his toys, as was Olivia. Not long afterwards, both children were down for an afternoon nap, giving the two women some time to talk.

Naomi sat on one end of the couch, looking at Charlotte and noticing how the blonde couldn't take her eyes off of Zane. "Don't you just love how they look like angels when they're asleep?" she commented, her eyes focused on Olivia who was sleeping on the blanket next to the little boy.

Charlotte didn't reply for a few seconds, her gaze affixed on the sleeping boy. "Yeah, they do. Cooper knows that I do this, but before I go to bed every night, I just stand by his crib and watch him sleep," she told the other woman. "I don't know what it is, but doing that sort of gives me some peace. I could have the worst day, but just seeing him asleep like that at night, it's… it's soothing."

"You remind me of myself when Maya was this age," Naomi turned to the blonde, relating to what she had just said. "Only difference is, I did it on the nights when Sam was stuck in surgery at the hospital. I liked to wait up for him, so to pass the time, I'd be in Maya's room, watching her sleep sometimes."

"The sleep of the innocent," Charlotte said.

"And then they grow up, faster than you realize."

Charlotte was quick to reply. "Hey now, don't go ruinin' this moment for me. I don't need to those horrid teenage stories yet," she rolled her eyes, chuckling under her breath. "I have a good amount of time before I gotta worry about Zane being a teenager and all."

"Sorry, Naomi laughed softly, not wanting to wake the babies. "I guess I also see things differently since Maya's not a kid anymore and that little girl over there is my granddaughter."

"Not too different, though?"

"No, not really. She may be Maya's daughter, but I love that little girl with everything in my heart. And I'll bet it's the same for you with Zane."

Charlotte nodded, Naomi's words describing it best. "I don't see him as just my nephew, Zane… he's become my boy, mine and Cooper's," she smiled.

"Wow, you've really grown into the role of being a parent," Naomi said. "Addison told me all about the night Zane got sick. She said you and Cooper rushed home and you couldn't kick her out of the room fast enough."

Charlotte nodded, somewhat embarrassed. "Well, kickin' her out is a strong term, but I'd say it pretty much describes what happened. She knows it was out of frustration though. I was mad at myself for not being home," she explained, recalling that night and the comforting conversation afterward. "Things worked out in the end. Apologies exchanged and she managed to say some words I needed to hear that made me feel better."

"You would think since we're doctors, when our kids get sick we'd stay calm. Turns out it's nothing like that," Naomi said. She reflected on Maya's younger years, when she and Sam were new parents. "I still remember the first time Maya got sick and how worried Sam and I were. Those were some sleepless nights for us."

"I can relate," the blonde agreed. "Cooper and I stayed up all night with Zane. We didn't go to sleep until we were both sure his fever had broken."

"Been there."

"I'll bet."

Both women turned their attention to the sleeping children, entertaining the welcome beat of silence in their conversation. While Charlotte wouldn't admit it yet, she relished the friendship that developed with Naomi. It helped a great deal to have someone to talk to and she truly did have a good soul, which went a long way for Charlotte. Smiling inwardly, she realized Cooper had been right, that having a friend, someone to lean on was something she needed.

Later that afternoon, after Naomi and Olivia left, Charlotte was sitting on the couch reading her book while Zane was occupied with watching 'The Wiggles' on the television. Every so often, she'd look over at the child, making sure he didn't wander off. The last thing she needed to happen was to lose track of him.

Looking at the clock, Charlotte saw it was almost six and Cooper wasn't due home for at least an hour or two. She sat for a moment, thinking about dinner and whether or not she should wait for him to come home. One thing she knew for sure was that Zane would need to be fed before then, since they had a set routine for him.

Zane toddled his way over to Charlotte, holding up the toy car and handing it to her. "Caaa…" he babbled, a tiny stream of drool dripping down his chin.

Charlotte smiled. "Hey Little Man. Lemme guess… you wanna play again," she moved off the couch and onto the floor. "What sound does the car make? Do you know?" Zane clapped his hands in reply. "Cars go vroom," pushing the toy towards him. "Like this, vroooom…"

Zane laughed out loud, amused at what the older woman was doing. He pushed the car back to her and waited. "Broom…"

"Oh again, huh?" she repeated her action from before. "Vroom…" laughing along with Zane. She reached for the baby boy and took him into her arms. With her hand, she used Zane's bib to wipe the drool from his chin.

"Goodness, you look so much like your daddy," she said softly, the image of Landry appearing in her head. Smiling somberly, she kissed the top of his head and smoothed down Zane's hair. "He was a good man. I promise when you get older, I'm gonna tell you all the stories I can remember from growin' up with him."

The ring of the doorbell interrupted the tender moment as Charlotte carefully stood up with Zane in her arms. Brow furrowed in confusion, she wondered who it could be since Cooper had a key and wasn't supposed to be coming home for a little while.

Walking to the door, she peered through the curtain in the window and saw an older man and woman standing outside. This confused her even more as she reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door.

"Can I help you?" Charlotte asked, looking up at the man that was standing at her doorstep.

Before he could reply, the woman beside him spoke. "Oh, you must be Charlotte."

"Yes and you are?" the blonde responded, eyebrow raised.

"Where are my manners," the other woman stepped forward. "I'm Martha Freedman and this is my husband, Russell. We're Cooper's parents."

It took Charlotte a few seconds for the introduction to register and when it finally did, she was still somewhat confused as to why Cooper's parents were standing there when Cooper had made no mention of his parents coming to town for a visit.

"Uh, hello." It was all the blonde could say, still reeling from the surprise. She stepped aside, "Please come in."

Martha walked into the house first, followed by Cooper's father who was carrying two suitcases in with him. He placed them by the door and wiped the sweat off his brow, smiling ruefully at the blonde.

"This is uh, quite the surprise," Charlotte said, shutting the door and walking into the living room with Zane in her arms. She felt a trail of drool on her shoulder, but ignored it as she followed them. "Cooper didn't mention anything about his folks coming to visit."

Martha turned around and smiled at Charlotte. "That's because Coop doesn't know we're coming. I thought it would be nice for us to surprise him," she motioned to the couch. "May I?"

"Sure, go ahead and sit. Make yourselves at home," Charlotte set a squirming Zane down on the floor. "If you can give me a quick second, I'll be right back." She hurried out of the room and grabbed her cell phone off the kitchen counter.

Quickly, she texted Cooper: _What time are you going to be home?_

The reply came within seconds, reading: _Half hour left and then headin out. Should be there in an hour._

Charlotte typed back a reply message: _Your parents are here. Surprise visit? Pick up dinner on way home. _

A minute later, her phone chimed again. _What! Leaving now. Be home soon. Be nice. Please._

Charlotte rolled her eyes at the message, heading back into the living room where she saw Cooper's mother with Zane sitting on her lap. Cooper's parents were doting over the baby boy and it was apparent that Martha was completely taken by him.

"Cooper should be home in a little while," she spoke, unsure and a little annoyed at the same time at the unexpected company. "Can I get either of you something? Maybe a drink? We'll have to order some food when Cooper gets home because…"

Martha looked up at Charlotte. "Oh, don't even think about doing that," she passed Zane to Cooper's father. "Just point me towards the kitchen and I'll whip something up with whatever you have."

"Oh, Mrs. Freedman, you don't need to do that," Charlotte protested, following the older woman into the kitchen. The last thing she wanted happening was Cooper coming home and seeing his mother cooking dinner. "I'll tell Cooper to pick something up on the way. It's won't be a problem."

Martha turned around and smiled at the blonde. "Okay, since you insist," she placed her hands on Charlotte's arms. "And please call me Martha and my husband, Russell. There's no need for you to be so formal."

Charlotte jutted her chin up slightly and nodded. "Okay."

"Now let's go back into the living room then while we wait for Cooper," Martha said, walking out of the kitchen. "You can tell me all about that adorable baby boy that my husband is holding."

Cooper arrived home an hour later, carrying two bags of food in his hands. "Hello? I'm home!" He placed the bags on the kitchen counter and made his way to the living room. "Mom, Dad! This is a surprise," he said, hugging his mother and his father. "Why didn't you tell me you were planning on coming for a visit?"

Russell gave his son a pat on the shoulder. "It was your mother's idea we make a surprise visit," he said, looking toward his wife. "So, how are things son? Where have you been all day that you left the love of your life here alone with the boy."

Cooper ran his hand through his hair. "I was at a day long conference. And Charlotte wasn't alone with Zane, she had some company this afternoon, didn't she?" he smirked at the blonde, receiving a look in return. "Anyhow, let's have something to eat. I brought home some Italian." He waited for his parents to walk past him before approaching Charlotte. "Some timing, huh?"

Charlotte handed Zane over to Cooper, chuckling sarcastically as they followed Cooper's parents to the dining table. "Yeah, your parents have impeccable timing."

Later that night, after Zane had gone down for the night and Cooper's parents were comfortable in the guest room, Charlotte and Cooper were sitting in bed, trying to make sense of the evening.

"I'm sorry they sprung this on us," Cooper apologized, not really knowing the reason why but felt compelled to. "I had no idea they were coming. If I did, I would have told you."

Charlotte turned to Cooper, quirking an eyebrow. "You should have seen the look on my face when I saw them standin' on our doorstep. I thought they were lost until your mother started talking in her perky way that I figured out it was your folks," she laughed a little. "Your momma's quite a character. Did you know she almost started cookin' dinner for us when I told her that we would order in?"

Cooper smiled. "That's my mom," he reached for the blonde's hand. "Thanks for being patient with them while I wasn't here."

"Only reason why the patience came easily was because your mother was busying herself with Zane," Charlotte replied, squeezing Cooper's hand. "Our boy is gonna be a heartbreaker, I can see it already. He's got your momma wrapped around his tiny finger."

"Our boy," Cooper leaned in, kissing the blonde on the lips. "You know, I never get tired of hearing that," pulling her into his arms and holding her close. "You know, since my parents are gong to be here for a few days, we should take advantage of it."

"What do you mean?" Charlotte sighed softly, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Cooper swept aside of lock of blonde hair, pressing his cheek against hers. "I was thinking, maybe we can do another night out again? Dinner and maybe something else? I want to make up for the night we had to cut short because the little guy was sick."

"I like the way you think," Charlotte grinned, turning around and pushing him down onto the bed. She lay on top of him, meeting his lips with chaste kisses. "But don't think I'm lettin' you off the hook for sending Naomi by to keep me company today."

Smiling innocently, Cooper brushed his finger along Charlotte's cheek. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He tried to seize control and turn over in bed.

Charlotte didn't relent, staying firm on top of him. "Oh yes you do."

"Fine, so maybe I told her to drop by," Cooper felt Charlotte relax a little, taking advantage of the moment. He quickly turned so Charlotte was now under him. "At least it was a play date for the kids."

"Yeah," she saw Cooper grab hold of her tank top and stopped him. "What are you doing?"

Cooper arched an eyebrow. "Initiating foreplay?"

"Um, did you forget that your parents are in the other room?" Charlotte lowered her voice, reminding him.

"So?"

"Cooper, we can't have sex while your parents are under the same roof as us."

"Come on, we can be quiet. And they're sound asleep by now."

Charlotte looked up at him, amused. "You really want to do this," she said, watching him grab a handful of her tank top and pushing it up. "Fine, but don't be surprised if your folks are giving us weird looks over breakfast tomorrow."

Her remark would ring true because when morning came, she couldn't help but notice the smirk on Russell Freedman's face as he sat at the table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper.

Cooper's parents stayed for a week, giving Cooper and Charlotte the opportunity to spend an evening out together. True to his word, Cooper took Charlotte out to dinner at the same restaurant as before and got to enjoy dessert this time around. And of course, their evening together was capped off with some night time fun, which to say, was something they ended up enjoying every night, despite Russell and Martha's presence in the guest room.

The night before Cooper's parents were set to leave, Russell walked into Zane's room where he saw Cooper putting the baby boy down for the night. He stood next to his son and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"That's quite an adorable boy you and Charlotte are raising," Russell spoke.

"Yeah, he is," Cooper nodded in agreement, pulling the blanket up to Zane's chest. "This little guy has become a big part of my life."

"Well, from what I've seen the last few days, you're doing a good job as his dad," the older man complimented. "And Charlotte's quite the mama bear. She really does run the ship here, huh?"

Cooper tried not to laugh out loud, not wanting to wake Zane. "I like to let her think she does, but it's more of a compromise with us," he explained. "She gets her way sometimes, but I also get mine. It's what makes us work, though."

"She's one of a kind."

"That she is, Dad. She sure is."

"You know, your mother wasn't very thrilled at first about your plans to marry Charlotte," he said, watching Cooper turn to look at him. "It's the main reason why she wanted this visit to be a surprise, to meet her and well, see what kind of woman she was," he explained. "You see, she always thought you and Violet would end up getting married. I mean, you did tell us she's your best friend and all."

"Dad…" Cooper drawled, a hint of annoyance in his voice. He raked his fingers through his hair. Somehow, he knew there had been an ulterior motive for them coming to visit. "Violet is still my best friend and she will always be. But it's Charlotte I love. And yes, the woman may drive me crazy from time to time, but that's just one of the reasons why I love her so much."

"I know, son."

"And what about Mom? Is she okay with this? With Charlotte?"

"I'd say so. After spending the past few days here and seeing how much she loves you. Your mother's opinion of her has pretty much changed. She sees why two of you love each other. In fact, I think she's downstairs with Charlotte right now, having a talk."

In the living room, Charlotte was stretched out on the couch, catching up on some light reading. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Cooper's mother coming down the steps and approaching her. Moving her feet off the couch, she made room for the older woman to sit.

"I just wanted to thank you for your kindness even though my husband and I came so unexpectedly," Martha said, smiling at the blonde. "I hope we weren't an inconvenience."

Charlotte shook her head. "No, not at all. It was good that you came for a visit," she replied, putting her book down on the coffee table. "I'm glad you and your husband got to meet Zane."

"Oh, he is so precious," Martha responded gleefully, evident that she enjoyed spending time with the baby. "I just know you and Cooper are going to raise that boy to be a fine man. The two of you are doing such a wonderful thing for him."

Charlotte smiled at the older woman. "Thank you."

"I do hope there are plans for children of your own too," Martha suggested, winking at the other woman. "I'm assuming there are. We'd love to have the opportunity to spoil them silly as all grandparents do. My Russell already has ideas on what to send Zane for Christmas."

"It's safe to assume," the blonde laughed at Martha's eagerness. She saw there was nothing but love and adoration in her eyes, especially when she saw how the older woman was with Zane. "Maybe there will be at least one other little one to spoil in the future."

Martha reached out for Charlotte's hand and squeezed it. "That's all I needed to hear."

Later that evening as the moonlight shone through the window, Charlotte and Cooper were lying naked in bed, basking in sexual afterglow. Charlotte rested her head on Cooper's chest, lazily tracing circles on his arm while their legs remained tangled in a mess of sheets. "Mmm… I hope we didn't wake your parents."

"Char, they haven't batted an eye since that first morning," Cooper laughed, remembering the look on his father's face. "If anything, I think they're wondering when we'll be popping out a kid for them to spoil silly."

Charlotte lifted her head and looked at Cooper. "Funny you should say that, because your mother was askin' me if there are plans for children of our own. Not that they don't love Zane any less. They adore him."

Cooper arched an eyebrow. "Oh and what did you say?"

Reveling in the warmth of Cooper's arms, she snuggled closer to him and continued to lazily trace circles on his arm. "I told her…" she paused, "that it was a possibility."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Charlotte King?" he mocked.

"Cooper, I'm being serious," lightly smacking him on the arm.

"Oh?"

"Yes."

Cooper reached for Charlotte's hand, entwining his fingers with hers. "You weren't just saying that to make her happy, were you?" he asked, surprised that she had said this to his mother. "Because if…"

"Coop," the blonde interrupted, pressing a finger to his lips. "I wasn't saying it to make her happy. I said it because it's something I see happening in our future. And well, it's been on my mind," seeing the awestruck look on her fiancée's face. "What? You don't believe me?"

"I do," he pulled Charlotte close, feeling her relax in his arms. Lying quietly for a moment, he let what she just said sink in. "It's just..." he stammered. Gently pushing aside of lock of blonde hair from her face, he smiled lovingly. "So, you really want to have a baby? Where is this coming from? What's changed?"

"Zane deserves to have someone to grow up with," Charlotte responded, stating the obvious. She pushed herself up on her elbow, propping her head in her hand. While the thought had been lingering in her mind for a while now, it was her talk with Cooper's mother earlier in the evening that compelled her to share these feelings with him.

"Lately, I've been taking a walk around the hospital to finish my day. And for some reason, I always end up in the same spot, the nursery," she explained, Cooper focusing his attention on her. "I'd stand there for a while, just starin' at the babies, thinking about how much joy they bring into someone's life. I mean look at the effect Zane has had on our lives, how it's changed us. And I guess, with us raisin' him and how we've really made this family work, we should have a kid that's got the best of you and the best of me. I figured we could start tryin' a little while after we get married."

Cooper took a moment to himself, the idea causing his heart to swell with warmth. He had a feeling Charlotte would eventually come around to the idea of having children. But hearing this from her, this soon caught him by surprise. This was something he'd waited to hear for the longest time.

"A baby huh? A little Freedman? Maybe a Walter?"

"Or a Marjorie."

"With blonde hair and your twang, which I love more than anything."

"Blue eyes and your lack of color coordination."

"Hey," Cooper feigned hurt. "I try, okay. "

"Yeah, you do," Charlotte ran her hand down Cooper's hairy chest, chuckling softly. "One thing's for sure. Our kids won't be borin'. I already know that for a fact. Like I said, the child would be the best of you and the best of me."

Cooper felt his heart swell with warmth as the smile on his face spread from ear to ear. "The best of you and me," he leaned closer, kissing her and murmuring softly into her ear. "A baby. I like... No wait, I love the sound of that."

~end chapter

* * *

_**Stay tuned for next Friday's installment: **Cooper and Charlotte talk wedding plans. Charlotte and Zane share a tender moment. _


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note**: If you've been following this story closely, you'll understand why I did what I did in this chapter with the bonds that were created in past chapters.

* * *

**Chapter 13 - That's What Friends Are For**

Cooper stepped off the elevator at Oceanside Wellness, carrying a large paper bag in his hand. Pulling his sunglasses off and placing them in the pocket of his shirt, he walked down the short corridor and stopped at the doorway to Charlotte's office. "So, I have good news and even better news."

Charlotte looked up from the paperwork in front of her, setting her pen down on the desk. She studied the content look on Cooper's face, surmising he had details on their wedding venue. "Okay, so let's start with the good news."

"We can stop by Descanso Gardens later on today to take a look at the spot for our wedding," he walked further into the office, stopping at her desk. "I know we told the sitter we'd be home right after work, but I snagged us this appointment on short notice, so I think we should go."

"We should," Charlotte agreed. With the date approaching quickly, a month and a half to be exact, securing a spot for their wedding ceremony was an important thing to get done. "I'll give the sitter a call. Hopefully she can stay a little while longer. I don't think she'll mind, since she adores Zane. She's a gem, I'll tell ya."

"Yeah, we got lucky with her," Cooper sat down across from the blonde, still holding the paper bag with his hand. He wondered if she was able to make out the aroma that was wafting from it. "I know we were worried at first, not taking Zane with us to work anymore, but it's been good so far. We've gotten more done without having to worry about shuttling him back and forth our offices here."

"Still doesn't stop me from missin' the little man. I got so used to having him here and just looking over at him when he'd be napping."

"I know. Only means we smother him with more love when we get home at the end of the day."

Charlotte leaned forward, her sense of smell making her aware that Cooper brought food into the room. "I smell fried chicken," she peeked around the desk and saw the paper bag in his hands. "Is that the even better news?"

Cooper placed the bag on the desktop, reaching in and taking out a box of food. "Yes. I drove over to Glendale and got your favorite fried chicken," he said, opening the box and letting her take out the first piece. Securing the napkin to his shirt, he reached for one himself and toasted wings with the blonde. "Mmm," he said after taking a bite. "So good."

Later in the day, they drove to Descanso Gardens and met with one of the managers. Together, they took a walk around and stopped at the Boddy House, the spot where their reception was going to be held. Stepping outside to marvel at the lawn and the surrounding area, Cooper wrapped his arm around Charlotte's back as they took a look around, picturing what the scene would look like in a month and a half's time.

"I'll leave you two alone to take in the scenery," the manager said, having seen the awe on both their faces and surmising they'd need a moment alone. "Stop by my office on your way out and I can give you a copy of what we talked about."

"Thanks," Cooper replied, enveloping Charlotte in an embrace. "So what do you think? Is it what you were picturing? I know you mentioned a ceremony by sunset and this looks pretty close to what you wanted."

Charlotte didn't reply for a few seconds, simply taking in the scene around her. It was better than she imagined in her mind and in some ways, a little more extravagant that what she initially thought. Though, given the fact that this was the wedding she knew was going to last forever, it didn't matter much as long as it meant her and Cooper solidifying their union.

"Hey, where were you just now?" Cooper noticed the faraway look in the blonde's eyes. "You looked like you are a million miles away."

"Sorry, I was just tryin' to picture everything," Charlotte blinked, brought back from her moment of quiet reverie. "It's um… it's beautiful," she said, oddly at a complete loss for words. It was possible she was feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment, realizing their wedding was weeks away. Smiling inwardly at the thought, Charlotte didn't seem to mind the feeling because it simply was the next step in their relationship and their lives.

"It really is," he replied, looking out into the near distance. "I was thinking, chairs set up here," pointing out to the sides. "Pastor and Rabbi standing there," he looked straight ahead.

"Coop?"

"Yeah?"

Charlotte turned around to face him. She brought her hands to his face, cupping his cheeks. "How about we ditch tradition. Forget the pastor and rabbi stuff and just get a justice of the peace to officiate," she smiled lovingly at him. "Come on, it's not like we're the kind of people who stick to the customary way of doin' things. Look at us, we're already a family, raising Zane and all. And this ceremony is about us and our friends getting to see us make things official."

Cooper tilted his head slightly, pondering the idea. Truthfully, he wasn't too keen on ditching Jewish tradition, but he did see Charlotte's side of things on this. They never did do things the ordinary way, so why start now. Reaching for her hands, he brought them to his lips and kissed them.

"My mom may not be too happy about us ditching tradition, but this is for us. So why not," he conceded with a smile.

"I hope this doesn't upset her. I could see the excitement on her face when the subject of our wedding came up while they were here," Charlotte walked with Cooper toward a bench and sat down. "If she really insists, we can stick to tradition. We can still have that circus tent if you want."

Cooper shook his head, laughing a little. "It's called a chuppah," he smiled. "You let me worry about her. What matters is us, because this is _our_ wedding," he reassured, pulling the blonde close. He sat there for a moment, picturing in his head what their wedding day would look like. "Have you thought about who your maid of honor is going to be?"

Charlotte stared straight ahead. "No, it hasn't crossed my mind," she responded, really not knowing who ask since her list of friends was relatively short, consisting of Addison and Naomi. Those were the only two women she had conversations with on occasion. "I don't know who to ask. Not like I talk to anyone on some deep level these days. You know how I'm not a sharin' type of person."

"Why don't you ask Naomi? I know the both of you aren't close, but you have been talking to her," Cooper suggested, hoping Charlotte would realize she did have a friend or two. "But it's up to you. I'm not going to tell you what to do."

The blonde pondered the idea of asking Naomi, knowing he was right. She did develop a friendship with her and has been opening up to her more than with anyone else. "Maybe I will."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I'm gonna need someone to help with all the girly stuff for the wedding and I guess she's the person I should be asking. Just hope she says yes."

"I think she will," Cooper replied. "If not, there's always Addison, although the two of you aren't close. But you did mention at one time or another how the two of you talk at the hospital. But I still think Naomi will say yes."

"I'll talk to her sometime this week," the blonde glanced at her watch, realizing they lost track of time. "We should go home. I told the sitter we'd be gettin' home an hour later than usual."

Cooper stood up, holding his hand out to Charlotte. Together, they walked down the path, his arm wrapped around her waist into the sunset, just one of many they'd be sharing for the rest of their lives.

* * *

A week later, Charlotte took the stairs down to the fourth floor and walked toward Naomi's office. Along the way, she started feeling nervous for some unknown reason, which seemed silly since there was no need to feel that way. She passed by Sheldon's office and saw the door closed, surmising he was having a session with a patient. Part of her wished he wasn't busy, thinking she could have stopped there for a minute to gather her wits.

Arriving at Naomi's office, Charlotte saw the door was open. She took a deep breath and walked inside, stopping in front of the desk.

Naomi looked up at her. "Charlotte, hi," she watched the other woman take a seat across from her. "Is there something you need?"

"Look. I'm gonna make this quick and I'll understand if you say no, but I figure since you and me…" the blonde paused for a beat. "You consider me a friend, right? Because well, I've come to realize that you're probably the only friend I have and I was wonderin'…"

"Charlotte?" Naomi's brow furrowed with some confusion.

"I need a maid of honor and well, we seem to have become friends," Charlotte blurted out. "I'm not the kind of person to ask for help, but with the wedding comin' soon and I haven't had the time to even think about who to ask… Would you like to be my maid of honor?" she waited patiently for an answer, studying the reaction on the other woman's face.

Naomi smiled, clearly touched by the request. "Sure, I'd love to," she said, seeing the relief on the blonde's face. "Wait, did you think I'd say no?"

"I wasn't sure what you'd say," Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. "But thank you. I really appreciate it."

"So, is there anything in particular you need me to do?" Naomi asked.

"Not much. Cooper and I have everything planned out. Like I said before, it's gonna be simple," the blonde said, recalling in her head what she and Cooper had accomplished over the last couple of days. "All the important stuff is taken care of. I've got a dress already. I just need someone to keep me from goin' crazy those days leadin' up to the wedding."

Naomi laughed, holding her gaze with the other woman. "I'm sure I can handle that."

"Thanks."

"No need to thank me," Naomi dismissed the remark with a wave of her hand. "I'm actually quite honored you asked. I wasn't expecting it."

Charlotte smiled shyly. "I figured I needed someone up there with me and um, you and I… we've been talking more since Zane came into my life," she paused to gather her thoughts. "You and Addison, well more so you… you've been there. Despite you knowing I'm not the sharing type all the time, you sort of just understood where I was comin' from. And that helped a little…okay a lot," she chuckled. "You're someone I know I can talk to whenever there's somethin' on my mind. So this is my way of thanking you."

Naomi tilted her head, touched by what Charlotte had said and smiled back at her. "That's what friends are for."

* * *

Sam shut the door and reentered his living room where he found Cooper cleaning up the mess of chips and nuts that were a result of the poker night that had just come to an end. Once again, Amelia had cleaned them all out, which amused him a little since it now seemed like she was made an honorary member to their all guys poker night.

"Hey man, you don't need to do that," Sam approached the table, gathering the empty cans of soda and lining them up against the wall next to the sink.

"Nah, I want to help," Cooper grabbed the bowl off the table and bringing it to the counter. Leaning against it, he crossed his arms in front of him, watching Sam pull together all of the poker chips and put them back in their case. "I can't believe Amelia cleaned us out again. That woman is devious."

"She's got good game," Sam replied, tossing the plastic cups into the trash can. He looked at the clock and saw it was almost ten. "I think I've got everything handled here. You should go home to Charlotte and Zane. I bet she's waiting for you."

"She probably is, but I told her I'd be home a little later than usual," he replied, waiting for Sam to finish cleaning up. He continued to lean against the counter, watching his friend put the folding chairs away. "So, I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it?"

Cooper raked his fingers through his hair. "So, my wedding is in next month," he said timidly. "And I was wondering if you'd be my best man."

Sam smiled, giving his friend an affirmative nod. "Really? Um, sure… of course I'll be your best man," he said, surprised at the request. "Thanks for asking. But I thought since you're best friends with Violet and all, maybe you'd ask her to stand up with you."

"Well, the field of guys to ask is quite limited, with Pete and Sheldon being my other options. Plus, I had a talk with Violet the other day and she gave her blessing for me to ask you," Cooper stated, smirking at the same time. "Consider it my way of repaying you for all the parenting advice."

"No need to return the favor for all the advice," Sam responded, playfully dismissing the remark with a wave of the hand. "It's what friends do. So, you and Charlotte got everything set?"

Cooper laughed under his breath, recalling what he and Charlotte had gotten accomplished in the past couple of days. "Pretty much. We're not having anything big, obviously. Small guest list and by small, I mean it's just all us Oceanside and Pacific people," he explained. "All that's left is getting a tux or suit, and picking up the rings."

"Alright, then let me save you the worry of picking up your tux and the rings. I'll take care of that," Sam volunteered. "You're bound to be going crazy that week. So let me do that and all you need to worry about is getting your folks all settled in and any last minute details that come up, because you know there's going to be something."

"Thanks," Cooper replied. He checked his watch and saw it was a little past ten. "I should go. Charlotte's probably got Zane down for the night and I told her I wouldn't be too late. Thanks again."

"Night Coop. Get home safe."

* * *

Zane turned the page of his storybook with Charlotte, pointing at the illustration of a cow. He looked up at her and giggled, a tiny drop of drool dripping down his chin.

"Yes Little Man, that's a cow," Charlotte smiled at the baby boy. "Do you know what sound a cow makes?"

"Moo," Zane babbled. "Moo. Moo. Moo."

"That's right," she leaned down, kissing the top of his head. She inhaled the sweet scent of baby shampoo from his hair, watching him point to other animals on the page. "And there's the moon. Goodnight Moon. That's what that says."

Zane reached for the back cover of the book, forcing his closed with his tiny hands. Looking up at Charlotte, he patted her cheek. "Ma..ma.." he said with an innocent smile.

Charlotte sat there, surprised and speechless. "No, sweetie…I'm," she paused, wanting to correct the baby boy but realized she was the only person he was familiar with when it came to a maternal presence in his life. Despite not being an overly emotional person, tears sprang at the corners of her eyes.

"Ma…ma…" Zane repeated word again.

"Yeah Little Man," Charlotte said softly, feeling her heart swell with warmth. She pulled him close, blinking away the tears. "I'm your Momma."

Leaning back against the pillows, she wiped away the moisture from her eyes and cuddled Zane in her arms. Gently lulling the baby boy to sleep, she couldn't help but smile, realizing at that moment, she truly has become the little boy's mother and a loving presence in his life.

While waiting for Cooper to come home, Charlotte absently stroked her hand up and down the baby boy's back, her mind drifting back to how much life had changed for Cooper and her. Losing her younger brother was a sad memory, giving her pause for moment but looking down at the young child that lay asleep next to her easily pushed away that grief.

As much as she missed Landry, having Zane in her life filled a void in her heart. Cooper provided more than enough happiness, being a man who loved her in spite of her flaws and her penchant for dominance in the relationship, but Zane brought out something different in her, a side of her she never truly thought she was capable of having.

The last few months allowed Charlotte to realize she did have it in her to be a mother. Thinking back to the letter Landry had left her, she laughed to herself recalling her brother's words, shaking her head because he was right. Everything he'd written on the page was right because Zane did bring joy to her life. And through that, she allowed herself let her walls down and open up more to others, namely Naomi and Addison. And maybe Violet too, but she'd let that happen on its own accord.

Charlotte sighed softly, a smile curling at her lips as she thought about the family she and Cooper had become. While it didn't happen in the most traditional of ways, the three of them were still a family in every sense of the word. And in a few weeks, they would officially be husband and wife.

Zane stirred next to her, whimpering a little, interrupting Charlotte's quiet reverie. She settled herself against the pillows and leaned over, running her finger along his cheek. "Shh, it's okay, Little Man. Momma's right here."

~end chapter

* * *

_**Stay tuned for next week's installment:**__ As Charlotte & Cooper's big day approaches, Charlotte receives a pre-wedding surprise. _


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 - Surprises & Tender Moments with Family  
**

Charlotte looked up from her computer, suddenly a little queasy, a lingering feeling she was experiencing since the weekend. She took a moment and closed her eyes, hoping beyond hope that this wasn't a prelude to her getting sick. With the wedding coming up on Saturday and how it was currently Monday, this was not the time for her to be coming down with something. Taking a deep breath, she chalked it up to nervous excitement and possibly her breakfast not agreeing with her.

Unfortunately, those nerves would plague her throughout the day and ended up being coupled with some exhaustion. And the symptoms would continue to the next day, causing concern as she reached for the calendar.

"No, it can't be," Charlotte mumbled to herself, knowing she'd gotten off the pill before summer started, but was surprised it would happen this fast. She checked the calendar again to make sure. "Maybe…" And with that thought fresh in her mind, she felt her stomach turn and reached for the trash can.

Later in the day, after everyone else had gone home, Charlotte walked down the corridor to Addison's office. Grateful the auburn haired doctor was still there, she knocked lightly on the glass. "Hey…"

Addison looked up, surprised to see Charlotte standing at the doorway. "I thought you left with Cooper."

"We took separate cars to work. I was at the hospital for most of the morning and got here after lunch," she explained, walking inside and sitting down in one of the chairs. "I need a favor," asking without any hesitation.

"Sure. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to confirm if I'm pregnant. I peed on one of those sticks earlier today and it's positive. But you know the chances of those being wrong."

"Let's head into an exam room and find out," Addison stood, leading the blonde out of her office. She motioned Charlotte toward one of the exam tables and pulled the ultrasound machine near them. "So, I'm assuming you've skipped your last cycle."

Charlotte pulled her blouse up, a chill going down her spine as she felt the coldness from the gel. "Last time I had my period was July. And I've been feelin' queasy for the past few days. Exhausted too, possibly hormonal but I think that's because of the wedding," she babbled the other woman. "Well? Am I?"

Addison smiled, pointing at the screen. "Why don't you take a look? There's your baby."

The blonde turned her head, looking at the black and white image, leaving her at a complete loss for words. "Well, I'll be. Cooper's boys managed to swim their way through my weeds. This is going to be quite a wedding gift for him," she said happily. "How far along am I?"

"From what I can tell, you're around eight weeks," Addison replied, she hit the print button and gave the other woman the small piece of paper with the image of the ultrasound. "Looks like Zane is going to be a big brother." She handed Charlotte some paper towels to wipe off her mid-section while she turned off the machine. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Charlotte pulled her blouse back down and sat up. Sitting quietly for a moment, she stared at the printed image in her hands. "I'm havin' a baby," she said, sounding somewhat awestruck. "Cooper and I made a baby. I didn't think it would happen this fast considerin' we started talking about having kids not too long ago."

Addison stood next to the blonde, happy and a little jealous at the same time. She pushed the latter feeling to the back of her mind. "I bet you can't wait to get home and tell Cooper."

Charlotte grinned, shaking her head. "I'm not tellin' him tonight," she met her colleague's gaze. "I'm gonna wait until the wedding night and surprise him with the news. It'll be my present to him. Which means you best keep your trap shut."

"My lips are sealed," Addison laughed, noticing motherhood didn't affect Charlotte's penchant for being blunt. She held up her right hand, swearing herself to secrecy. "You have my word. But before you go, let's schedule another appointment for you."

With an appointment set, Charlotte grabbed her things and waited for the elevator. Addison was not far behind, both of them leaving Oceanside at the same time.

"Exciting week for you," Addison commented as they exited the building. Both women walked toward their respective cars.

Charlotte nodded, still processing the news herself. "It sure is. Can't say I expected this," she stopped at her car, unlocking the door and opening it.

"Are you okay, Charlotte?" Addison asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just…the news is beginning to sink in, that's all."

"Well, you've got nothing to worry about. You already have what it takes to be a good mom."

"Zane." Charlotte smiled, giving Addison a grateful nod before getting into her car. " Thanks. Have a good night."

* * *

"Thanks again for letting my parents stay at your place for the next few days," Cooper said as he came down the stairs, walking into Sam's living room. "I owe you dinner or maybe a couple rounds of drinks."

"Don't worry about it," Sam replied, passing him a bottle of beer.

Cooper took a sip and swallowed. "Well, I'm still buying you dinner when Charlotte and I get back from our honeymoon." He leaned against the counter, unable to wipe the ridiculous smile off his face. Taking another swig of beer, he noticed the arched eyebrow from his friend. "What?"

"Nothing," Sam responded, eyebrow still raised as he reached for his beer. "You're just…giddy. A little too giddy."

"I'm getting married in three days," Cooper said enthusiastically. His grin spread from ear to ear. "I have every right to be giddy. Life is good, so please, let me enjoy this."

"Fine, fine… be giddy," Sam held up his beer, proposing a toast. "Here's to you and getting all you've wanted out of life," clinking bottles with other man. "So, I'll be picking up the rings tomorrow and the tuxes on Friday. Is there anything else you need me to take care of?"

Cooper set his beer down on the countertop. Raking a hand through his hair, he sheepishly looked at Sam. "There is one more thing," he said shyly. "Rehearsal dinner. Can we have it here? It'll be you, Addison, Naomi, Charlotte, myself, her brother and his wife, her mother…oh and my folks. We don't need anything too fancy, just an evening together before the big day."

Sam nodded, an idea coming to mind. "Yeah, I'm sure that can be arranged."

* * *

Charlotte signed off on what she hoped was the last chart she'd be looking at for the next week and a half. The last few days were a whirlwind for her, finding out she was pregnant, keeping the news quiet and trying to finish up her work before the wedding. Luckily for her, it was the first day she wasn't bothered as much by morning sickness. Sitting back in her chair with her hands folded on her lap, she breathed a sigh of relief.

That moment would end up being short lived, as she heard a knock at the door. "Yeah? Come in," she called out. Watching the door open, a smile appeared on her face when she saw who stuck their head inside.

"Hi Lottie," Duke leaned against the doorframe, returning her smile. "Thought I'd surprise you and see where my big sis' works."

"Well don't just stand there, come on in!" Charlotte said, motioning for her brother to sit down. Brow furrowed, she wondered why her brother was alone. "Where's Daisy?"

"She's back at the hotel with Momma and also checking on the kids back home," Duke replied.

"Oh? The kids didn't come along?" the blonde masked her disappointment. She was looking forward to seeing her nieces and nephew. "Cooper and I were hopin' to see them."

"You'll see 'em on Christmas. I'm thinking of bringing the brood out here and takin' them to Disneyland," he said, taking a look around his sister's office. "This is quite the hospital you're running here. You really have made a name for yourself, huh? I have to say Lottie…I'm impressed."

Charlotte jutted her chin up proudly. "Thank you. I take a lot of pride in my work as an administrator. I do the best I can," she piled the folders neatly at the corner of her desk. "This is just half of what I do, you haven't seen my office at Oceanside Wellness yet. If this impresses you, wait 'til you see what else I have goin' on during the day." She gathered her things and pushed her chair back. "You have a rental car I assume?"

"Got it parked in the lot," Duke stood up, pulling out the keys.

"Alright, then follow behind me. Cooper's got Zane in his office for the afternoon and I'm sure you're dying to see how much the little man has grown," Charlotte said, leading her brother out of her office.

Twenty minutes later, she stepped off the elevator at the practice with Duke, walking with him down the corridor where they spotted Cooper with Zane. "Hey, look who dropped by," she said, bending down to pick the little boy up into her arms. "Look Sweetie, it's your uncle. You remember him?"

"Duke, hey great to see you," Cooper held out his hand. "Glad you could make it."

"You kiddin' me? Nothin's gonna keep me from this wedding," Duke shook the pediatrician's hand, bringing his gaze to Zane. "He's grown so much," he said in awe, holding his arms out. "May I?"

Charlotte passed the little boy to her brother, who whimpered almost immediately at the sight of an unfamiliar face. "Oh, don't cry. It's your Uncle Duke. You don't remember him?" she laughed amusingly, wiping the tears from the child's face.

"Mama…" Zane cried, looking to escape back into Charlotte's arms. "Mama…mama…"

Duke heeded the child's request, giving him back to Charlotte. "Wow, he's callin' you Momma now. That's gotta tug at your heart a little," he smiled, smoothing down Zane's blonde hair. "He callin' Cooper dada yet?"

"Working on it," Cooper replied, checking his watch. "I'm gonna leave you two and see my last three patients for the afternoon. You got him?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yeah, go on. I'm actually done for the day and was thinkin' of taking Zane home," she held the baby boy against her hip. "Catch up with Duke and such. Think you can catch a ride back with Sam?"

Duke pulled out the keys to his rental car. "Here, take these. The car is parked outside, black Mazda. You can drive it back to the house."

"Thanks," Cooper said, taking the car keys from the other man. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Charlotte's lips and tussling Zane's blonde hair. "I'll see you later."

"Come with me. I just need to grab a few things from my office," Charlotte turned to her brother, motioning for him to follow her down the corridor. "Impressed yet?"

Duke marveled at the sight around him, noticing it was slightly larger than what he saw at the hospital. "Yes, very," he said in affirmation. Walking over to the bookcase, he scanned the titles that lined the shelves, snickering to himself. "Interestin' stuff you got here."

"Way more than your bookcase ever will be," she jokingly countered. Grabbing her bag, she handed it to Duke. "Alright, let's get goin'. It's almost time for this boy's nap and I'd like to get him home before he gets all cranky."

* * *

Charlotte opened the front door to the beach house she shared with Cooper, allowing Duke to step inside first. Shutting the door, she let Zane down and watched the little boy toddle into the living room. "Duke, keep an eye on him for a sec, I'm gonna grab us some drinks."

Duke sat down on the couch his gaze trained on his nephew who was sitting on the floor with some toys. He sighed quietly, amazed at how much the boy had grown since he saw him a few months ago. As he sat there, he saw how adjusted Zane had become to living with Charlotte and Cooper, especially the baby boy's attachment to both of them.

Charlotte came into the living room, handing her brother a glass of water. She followed his gaze and smiled. "Quite a sight, isn't he?" she commented, sitting down next to Duke. "I still remember the day we brought him back here and how nervous I was, thinkin' I was going to screw the boy up."

"And have you?" Duke asked, making no effort to hide the smirk on his face.

"Go ahead, you can say I told you so," she rolled her eyes, waiting for her brother to utter the words.

Duke turned to look at Charlotte, smiling. "No, I don't need to. I'm just glad you realized how good of a momma you can be to Zane," he said sincerely, glancing over his shoulder at the child. "There was nothin' to be afraid of. And now I'm wagerin' you and Cooper can't wait to have one of your own. Perhaps give little Zane someone to grow up with?"

Charlotte looked away for a second, unable to hide the grin on her face. She had wanted to keep the news a secret from everyone, but felt compelled to at least tell her brother. Meeting gazes with him, she tilted her head and smiled.

Duke immediately read his sister's face, not wanting to make assumptions but did anyway. "Lottie, what's that look for?" he paused, realizing what she was trying to say, or not say. "Are you?"

"Cooper doesn't know yet. So don't say anything," Charlotte advised, absently bringing her hand to her stomach.

"Why haven't you told him?" he asked, somewhat confused. With news like this, it'd be hard to keep it a secret.

"Because I'm gonna tell him on our wedding night. It'll be my surprise for him," she responded, looking over at Zane who had fallen asleep on his blanket before bringing her attention back to her brother. "I just found out this week. I kinda knew I was, considerin' the morning sickness and how exhausted I've been."

Concern filled Duke's face, reaching for his sister's hand. "How you doing now? You feelin' okay?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling fine. Today's been a good day so far."

"Well good."

They sat for a moment, relishing the silence while Duke digested the exciting news. He moved closer to his sister and enveloped her in a hug. "I know we're not the touchy-feely type, but I'm happy for you Lottie," he said into her ear. "Happy for you and Cooper and the family you two are makin' with Zane and now a baby on the way."

Charlotte felt tears spring into her eyes and laughed. Pulling back from the embrace, she wiped the moisture away. "Oh look at this, now you got me cryin'. Damn hormones," she laughed. "But thank you. And if I haven't said it already Duke, I'm really glad you're here."

"Like I said, I wouldn't miss this for anything."

"I remember."

Duke bit down on his lower lip, hiding the somewhat forlorn look on his face. "I just hope Momma can keep herself from makin' a scene. Bad enough she almost did that are your first…"

"Don't even bring that up," Charlotte warned, immediately stopping him from finishing the thought. "I've put my past behind me and so has Cooper. So let's not even talk about it."

"Sorry," Duke apologized. "I wasn't thinking."

She saw the sincerity on her brother's face. "Don't worry 'bout it," she reassured. "I've long buried that part of my life. And I may be reachin' here, but a part of me thinks Momma is gonna be on her best behavior. I don't know why, it's just a feeling."

"From your lips to God's ears," he inwardly hoped she was right. "Important part is that I'm here and I'll do anything you need me to do."

"Actually there is something," Charlotte replied, feeling now was the perfect time to ask. She looked at her brother adoringly, pulling the words together for her request. "When we were younger, I always remembered how Big Daddy told me that when my wedding day came, it would be the proudest day of his life because his darling daughter was getting' married…and that the one memory he couldn't wait to have was walkin' me down the aisle," she sighed softly, thinking about her father. "Since Big Daddy's not here anymore, I was thinkin'… Duke, will you be the one to walk me down the aisle and give me away?"

Duke was unable to contain his emotion, his heart swelling with warmth as he met his sister's adoring gaze with his own. Smiling at her, he nodded. "You don't have to ask. Of course I will," reaching across and cupping her cheek with his hand. "I will definitely do that, in honor of him."

"Thank you."

"You know Lottie, you've changed a bit since the last time I saw you."

Brow furrowed, Charlotte gave her brother a somewhat confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know, your attitude is just a lil' different," he shrugged, unsure if he was phrasing his thought correctly. "I mean you've still got that bitchy edge and all and that's great, because you're the big boss lady with the job you got… But when it comes to being around Cooper, Zane and me, and I'm guessin' your friends too, you're nice. I don't know how to say it… I guess warm?"

Charlotte laughed at the sentiment as Duke described her somewhat new demeanor almost perfectly. "You're not the first person to say that, you know. I think it has a lot to do with him," pointing towards the sleeping boy. "He's the reason for me changin' my ways. Cooper too, but that's been happenin' over time, him getting me to let my walls down."

"Well, I'm glad you have that in your life, Lottie. It does your little brother's heart a lot of good to know you're well taken care of."

There was an unexpected silence in their conversation, causing both of them to bring their gazes to a sleeping Zane, lying on his blanket nearby. Charlotte sighed softly, her eyes still affixed on the child, while her mind drifted to a subject she and Duke hadn't really touched upon lately.

"I'm glad you feel that way. But let me ask you, how are you doing these days? We haven't talked about Landry much since the accident. And I know the two of you were a lot closer than I was with him."

Duke's gaze fell, looking away for a moment before turning back to his sister. "I'm doin' as well as can be. I've got Daisy and the kids around, so it helps me keeps my mind off of missin' him," shrugging his shoulders, while half-smiling at Charlotte. "I'll be honest, it's been a little tough these past few months and I have my moments where I won't be thinkin' and I start to head on over to his house on Sundays because it's when we always got together, until it hits me and I realize he's gone. But I've been findin' ways to cope. I suppose it gets easier over time."

"You talkin' to someone about this?"

"Yeah, found me a good doc to sit down with. Like I said, things get better over time, I suppose."

Charlotte reached for her brother's hand, giving it a consoling squeeze. "It does. Believe me, it does," she replied. "Not like it's any easier for me though. There are times when I'll be lookin' at Zane and all I see is Landry. I know the boy's young and there's a good chance over time his looks will change a bit and maybe he'll look a lil' different, but Zane's been like a living reminder of Landry."

"Well, you know those King genes are mighty dominant. So I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be a carbon copy of Landry."

"That'd be a sight."

Duke laughed softly, trying to picture what a grown up Zane would look like. "You miss him too, don't you, Lottie." When Charlotte didn't answer after a few seconds, he pushed her chin up with his finger bringing her gaze to meet his. "It's okay to say it out loud. I can tell you do, even if you don't want to admit it."

Charlotte shook her head. "Was never able to hide the truth from you."

"No, you never could. Come on now, it's just you and me here. You can tell me."

"Fine, yes I do. I miss him, a lot, because he was our brother and because Zane's never gonna get to know his daddy. No child deserves to lose his parents they way he did, so young that he'll never have any memories of them."

"Oh, he'll know his daddy," Duke smiled comfortingly. "He'll know all about his daddy because he's got you and me to tell him all the stories we can remember. Believe me Lottie, it'll help with your missin' Landry. In some ways, you got it better than me because you've got a living connection to him. All I got is his house and a load of photos."

Charlotte looked away for a second, smiling slightly. "You're right. And I guess losing Landry hasn't really brought me down as much as it did you because of I got Zane in my life. I've been so focused on makin' sure Cooper and I are good parents that I never really thought about how much I missed him 'til now."

"We'll always miss him," Duke turned to look at his sleeping nephew. "Important thing is Zane and makin' sure he grows up being loved and cared for as Landry wanted. But I already know that's something I don't need to worry about. You and Cooper have already created a wonderful little family. He's gonna grow up to be a fine man because you two are raising him."

"Thanks Duke."

"No need to thank me, Lottie. I'm just remindin' you of all the good you got goin' in your life right now. And tomorrow, when you walk down that aisle and marry Cooper, I'd say you'd pretty much got it all."

* * *

Cooper spotted Charlotte standing on the deck, walking towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist. Feeling her relax in the embrace, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "By this time tomorrow night, we'll officially be husband and wife," he whispered into her ear. "Just thought I'd mention that."

Charlotte reveled the feeling of being in Cooper's arms, staring out at the ocean under the night sky. She took a deep breath, inhaling the ocean air. "I haven't forgotten," she smiled, fighting the temptation to share her good news with him. "It's your last night as a single man. Don't go doing anythin' crazy now."

"What makes you think I would," Cooper feigned hurt, pushing aside a lock of blonde hair and kissing her cheek. "I plan on staying put tonight and getting a good night's sleep."

"Surprised Sam isn't takin' you out for drinks with it being your last night of bachelorhood."

"I went out with the guys last night, remember? So, I think it's better I don't go anywhere tonight. Plus, it gives me time to spend with my dad. I think he wants to pass on some pre-wedding fatherly advice," he said, shaking his head. "What about you? Are you going to be okay with Zane?"

Charlotte turned around, wrapping her hands around Cooper's nape. "I'll be fine. Naomi's stayin' in the guest room, so I won't be alone. You don't have to worry about me. All I need from you is to be there waitin' for me at the end of the aisle tomorrow."

"Now that," he leaned down, kissing her, "I can definitely do," deepening the public display of affection.

They stood on the deck for the next few minutes, continuing with the kisses until they were interrupted by Sam's whistling. Foreheads still pressed together, they laughed before turning their attention to the small group of on-lookers who were smiling back at them.

"Alright you two lovebirds, the time has come for you to say goodbye to each other for the night," Sam stepped onto the deck, trying to separate Cooper and Charlotte. "Come on, let go. You'll see each other tomorrow when it's time to become man and wife," he nudged his way between them. "Say your goodbyes, good nights and I love you's. Tomorrow will get here before you know it."

Cooper moved towards Charlotte, giving her one last kiss. "Good night," he murmured into her ear. "Oh and make sure you check under your pillow before you go to sleep. I left you something."

Charlotte's brow furrowed, kissing him one more time. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." She stepped back, walking towards Naomi, who was holding a sleeping Zane in her arms. She glanced at Cooper smiling at him one more time before leaving with Naomi. Duke and his wife followed close behind them, having told Cooper they'd usher them home before returning to their hotel.

Cooper found himself back on the deck not long after everyone had left. Sam and Addison had gone next door to turn in for the night. He assumed his parents had done the same, getting to sleep early in preparation for tomorrow. Cooper on the other hand wasn't ready to go to bed just yet and decided to be alone with his thoughts as he stared at the ocean.

Hearing soft footsteps behind him, he turned around and saw his father approaching. "I thought you went to sleep," he said, sitting up and watching his dad take a seat across from him.

"Your mother is but I had a feeling you'd still be awake," Russell replied, grinning at his son.

Cooper ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I think I'm a little too wired to fall asleep."

"You're excited son. It's okay to be. I was the same way the night before I was about to marry your mom."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah and like you, instead of going out and enjoying my last night of bachelorhood, I stayed in and just couldn't get to sleep. All I could think about was how I couldn't wait to see your mother coming down the aisle."

Cooper laughed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Does it sound funny if I tell you the reason I can't sleep is because I miss having Charlotte by my side? It's the first time in a long while we're apart."

"Son, I know exactly how you feel. Tomorrow will get here soon enough."

Both men turned to look at the waves crashing in the moonlight, Cooper thinking about what Charlotte was doing at the moment, while Russell sat there watching his son. He smiled inwardly, thinking back to Cooper's childhood and how the boy he and his wife took into their home and hearts so long ago grew up to become a fine man.

"It won't be long until you'll be calling Charlotte your wife," Russell spoke, breaking the silence between them. He reached placed a hand on his son's knee, squeezing it. "If I haven't said to you yet, I just wanted to say how proud of you I am, son. Both your mother and I. You've grown into a fine man."

"Thanks Dad. It means a lot, coming from you," Cooper replied. "I'm just doing what you taught me…finding a woman to love, protect her and make a family. I've got it all."

"You sure do, son," the older man agreed. "I'm glad you found someone to make you happy. I can see you are just by looking at you and Charlotte. Now, tomorrow you're starting a new part of your life and the only words of advice I can give you are to make sure you take care of your family. You love and protect them no matter what. That little boy Zane is going to be counting on you to be the daddy in his life. So you be the best daddy and husband you can be to them."

Cooper took his father's words to heart, meeting his gaze and giving him an affirmative nod. "I can only wish I can be a good a husband and dad you were to mom and me."

"I've got faith in you son, I know you will be."

* * *

Charlotte left the door to the bedroom slightly ajar, having just put Zane in his crib. She walked over to the bed climbed into it. Looking at the clock, she saw it was almost eleven and reminded herself to get to sleep soon. Tomorrow was going to be a whirlwind of a day and she'd need all the rest she could get.

As she sat there, laying against the pillows, she let her thoughts drift for a moment thinking about the day and what the next one was about to bring. Smiling, she recalled the heart to heart with Duke, grateful that her brother was here for her wedding and would be the one walking her down the aisle. Yet, she still had a slight ache in her heart, wishing her father was still alive to see her finally have the happiness she longed for in her life.

Pushing the sad feeling away, she remembered what Cooper had told her earlier, to check under the pillow before going to sleep. Shifting over a little, she lifted her pillow and saw a small box and a letter beside it. Taking both items into her hands, she opened the letter first and recognized the handwriting to be Cooper's.

Smiling to herself, she leaned back and began reading.

_Dear Charlotte,_

_Looks like you found what I left you. This is just a little gift I wanted to give you the night before our wedding. I know there's this tradition with women about something old, something new and all that. So I wanted to give you something new to wear for our wedding day tomorrow. Go ahead and open the box you found with this letter. _

Charlotte heeded the words written on the page and opened the small box, revealing the most gorgeous pearl earrings she had ever seen. "Oh Cooper…" she whispered, bringing her attention back to the letter.

_Let these pearls be your something new. I'm not one for buying jewelry except for the blindingly beautiful engagement right I bought you, but when I saw these the other day, I just knew I had to get them for you. Go ahead and ask my mother, she said they were breathtaking when I showed them to her._

_There are so many things I want to say in this letter right now, but I'm going to save them for the ceremony. One thing I do want you to know is how much I love you and I can't wait until you are my wife. You're everything I ever wanted Charlotte and tomorrow, I will have the chance to pledge my love for you in front of our family and friends. Like I have always said, you are mine forever._

_We've come a long way, you and me…And finally, we're going to be together in every sense of the word. _

_Sleep well, Charlotte. I love you. Tomorrow is going to be a new beginning for us._

_Always,_

_Cooper_

Charlotte folded the letter and placed it on the nightstand with the earrings. If this was his way of giving her something unexpected, he was in for a real treat.

She reached over to turn off the lamp and settled against the pillows. Laying there with a smile on her face, she closed her eyes with her hand resting on her stomach and drifted off to sleep thinking about the surprise she would be giving him come tomorrow.

~end chapter

* * *

_**Stay tuned for next Friday**: Charlotte & Cooper's big day has arrived!_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author Notes:**__ Last night on PP, we had the TV wedding. And by sheer coincidence, today we have the fanfic wedding. For those who loved the elopement and still wanted more, this chapter is for you. For those who wanted something so sweet and loving, this chapter is for you too. And for those who just love Charlotte & Cooper, and want them married however, whenever, wherever…this is for you. And remember, we're in a somewhat alternate universe where there's no drama at Oceanside Wellness, just happy people!_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Dawn soon turned into morning, sunlight shining brightly into the bedroom. The ocean breeze caused the curtains to sway slightly, lulling Charlotte out of slumber. Turning over in bed, she opened her eyes and slowly sat up. With a smile curling at her lips, she looked toward the window and the endless sunlight in the room. Charlotte sat there with only one thought in her mind and nothing else, her wedding.

Hearing her phone ring on the nightstand, she leaned over and was still smiling when she saw the caller ID.

"Couldn't wait to hear my voice until later?" she said, smirking while trying to sit up.

"Did you find what I left you?"

"Yes I did. They're gorgeous Coop."

"I can't wait to see what they look like on you."

"Well, you'll find out soon enough," she replied. "Were you able to sleep?"

"Yes and no, but I'll manage."

"I'm sure you will."

"I should go have some breakfast. It might be the only meal I'll get to have today."

Charlotte laughed. "You do that. I'll see you later."

"Yes. I'll be the guy in the fancy tux waiting for you at the end of the aisle. Bye Char."

"Bye Coop." she said, ending the call and placing her phone back on the nightstand.

"Knock knock," spoke a voice at the doorway.

The blonde turned her head and saw Naomi standing there. "Hey, come in," she said, pushing her hair back.

Naomi sat at the foot of the bed, the expression on her face matching the other woman's. "How are we feeling this morning?"

"Happy." It was the only word Charlotte could come up with, her fingers absently playing with the corner of the quilt. "And maybe a little queasy," she added, trying to fight back the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"That's normal. It's probably just nerves," Naomi responded, trying to relate to what her friend was feeling. She recalled feeling the same exact way on her wedding day many years ago. Moving closer, she reached for Charlotte's hand. "It'll pass. Don't worry."

Charlotte smiled coyly, knowing it wasn't. "Yeah, I think it will. You're right, it's just nerves and maybe the excitement."

Before Naomi could reply, they heard Zane's babbling voice in the baby monitor. Charlotte pushed the covers off and moved off the bed. "Sounds like someone else is awake. Time to get him fed and changed before this day gets to be all sorts of crazy."

* * *

Sam opened the door and saw Violet standing before him. Smiling, he stepped aside, allowing her to enter as she looked around and found no sign of Cooper. She assumed he'd be pacing the living room floor with excitement, given how this was the day he'd long been waiting for in his life.

"He's upstairs getting ready," Sam said, having seen the puzzled look on Violet's face. "Why don't you head on up there. Go calm the guy's nerves. I need take Cooper's parents to the garden and make sure everything's set up. I'm leaving it to you to get the groom there in one piece."

Violet laughed, even though Sam was the best man, she still had the most important responsibility. "We'll see you there," she said, watching him leave. Turning on her heel, she climbed the steps and walked down the short hall to the guest room. She slowly pushed the door open and saw Cooper standing in front of the mirror, struggling to get his bowtie on.

"Need some help?"

Cooper heard the familiar voice from behind and turned around. He held up his bowtie and tilted his head, giving her the most innocent, helpless look. "Can you?" he handed it to her, jutting his chin up so she could be of assistance. "I've been trying to get this on for the past ten minutes and I can never get it right."

Violet wrapped the bowtie around Cooper's neck, smiling at him as she worked on getting it to look right. "Get enough sleep last night?" she said, meeting gazes with him for a few seconds as she perfected the bowtie around his collar. "I half expected to find you downstairs pacing the floor, mumbling your vows to yourself."

Cooper stood still, waiting for her to finish. "That's what I was doing during breakfast," he replied as Violet stepped back. He turned and looked at himself in the mirror, straightening his shirt and buttoning his vest. "I know what I'm going to say, it's just a matter of me remembering all of it," he said, seeing Violet's reflection standing behind him. Sighing softly, he smiled at her.

"I'm sure whatever you say will be from your heart," Violet swiped some lint off his vest with her hand. She stood next to Cooper, unable to contain the happiness on her face. Her best friend was getting married to the woman he loved. "I think you look just about ready," turning around to grab Cooper's tuxedo jacket and helping him slip it on. She helped him fix his collar and stepped back, looking the groom up and down. "You clean up well, Cooper."

"Thanks," Cooper checked his reflection one more time, satisfied with his appearance. "I can't wait to see what Charlotte looks like."

"You'll find out soon enough," Violet responded, noticing the growing excitement on her friend's face. "Well, this is your last chance to make an escape. After today, you'll be a married man. Are you sure you're ready for this?" she said jokingly. "Because I've got a car outside and I'm sure you can make it to Mexico by midnight."

Cooper laughed, grateful for his friend's humor. "There's no escaping for me," he shook his head, leaning against the dresser. "I've been waiting for this day to come for the longest time. I am so ready to make Charlotte mine forever."

Violet moved forward, enveloping him in a hug. "Oh, I'm just so happy for you Coop," she said, trying not to get emotional, but wasn't succeeding. Pulling away, she quickly swiped away the moisture from her eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't help myself. You're like a brother to me so it feels like a family member is getting married."

"Well, we sort of are," Cooper tilted his head at Violet, using his thumb to wipe a lingering tear on her cheek. "Charlotte did always say we were like one big incestuous family at Oceanside," causing laughter to erupt between them. It took Cooper a couple of seconds to pull himself together. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "You know, if it weren't for you, this day wouldn't be happening."

The brunette's brow furrowed, somewhat confused. "What do you mean?"

"If you hadn't told me to go get my woman, then I wouldn't be getting married today. You don't remember? The night of the accident, you told me to go after Charlotte. I stopped being so stubborn and got my girl. And the rest is as they say…history."

Violet smiled, the memory coming back to her. She hadn't realized until now the role she played in bringing happiness back into Cooper's life. "I'm glad I could do that for you."

Cooper held his arms out. "Come here, one more hug," he pulled the woman into his embrace. "You're awesome."

"I know I am," she smirked, escaping from Cooper's arms. "Come on, let's get you married."

* * *

Charlotte was sitting in front of the dresser, having finished her makeup and was now staring at her reflection in the mirror. She reached for the pearl earrings Cooper had given her the night before and carefully put them on. Marveling at how exquisite they looked, she pushed her chair back a little and slowly stood up to see her full reflection. Her hair was pulled back halfway, while her dress flowed freely from the waist down.

"Char…" Naomi came into the bedroom, abruptly stopping when she saw the blonde standing before her. "Oh Charlotte, you look beautiful," she said, walking further into the room. Standing next to her friend, she reached up to fix a stray lock of blonde hair. "There we go," stepping back to look at her once more. "I do believe you give new meaning to the word breathtaking."

The blonde was still gazing at her reflection in the mirror. "You think so?"

"I know I do," Addison spoke from the doorway. Carrying Zane in her arms, she joined both women by the dresser. "And this little guy is looking mighty handsome himself," she added, fixing his tie and making sure the clip for his pacifier was secured to the tiny suit jacket. "Charlotte, you look gorgeous."

"Thank you," the blonde took a deep breath, slowly exhaling. "We should leave soon."

"Limo is waiting outside," Addison replied, still holding Zane in her arms.

"Wait, we can't go yet," Naomi interjected, grabbing her purse and opening it. She pulled out a small, white box with weathered corners. Lifting its lid, she took out a pearl bracelet. "Your mother wanted me to make sure you got this. I believe this would be your something old."

Charlotte's breath hitched a little as she took the bracelet from Naomi and held it in her hands. "I can't believe she brought this with her," she examined the pearls before handing it back to Naomi. "Think you can help put it on?"

"I'd be glad to," Naomi smiled. She reached into her purse again and took out something else. "And now for your something blue," passing her a small blue handkerchief. "I know you're not the emotional type… just in case," she smiled.

"Thank you."

"All you're missing is your something borrowed," Addison added, setting Zane down on the floor. She sat at the foot of the bed, keeping an eye on the little boy. "Nae, got anything else in that magic purse of yours?"

Naomi shook her head. "No, unfortunately not."

"But we do," spoke a voice from the doorway. All three women turned their heads and saw Charlotte's mother and Martha Freedman standing there. "May we come in?"

Charlotte nodded, smile on her face. "Sure."

Addison picked Zane up from the floor, motioning to Naomi for them to step out of the room. "We'll give you two a moment."

"Okay," Charlotte said, watching Naomi and Addison leave the room with Zane. She brought her attention back to Cooper's mom, sighing deeply. "I'm surprised you're not with Cooper right now."

Martha moved closer, smoothing a wrinkle from Charlotte's dress. "Russell is with him. I figured the better place for me to be is with you right now," she said lovingly, her hand cupping the blonde's face. "You look stunning."

"Thank you."

"And I hear you're missing a something borrowed?" Martha said, going into her purse and taking out a silver clip. Carefully, she placed it in Charlotte's hair. "This was mine when I married Cooper's father and today, I want you to wear it as you marry my son."

Augusta King looked on, smiling at her daughter. "It's as beautiful as my pearl bracelet you're wearing, sweetheart."

Charlotte was once again looking at herself in the mirror, Martha standing next to her. She was at a sudden loss for words, which was something that didn't happen very often. Not knowing what else to say, she simply muttered the same two words from a minute ago. "Thank you."

Martha took a tissue into her hand and tried to dab away the tears from Charlotte's eyes, making sure not to ruin any makeup. "I know you've got your own mother here, but I just want to say if you ever need someone else to talk to for motherly advice, you can always come to me. You're marrying my son today and frankly, I've always wanted a daughter. So you're the closest I'll ever get to having one."

"I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted me for a daughter if you knew me a few years ago," Charlotte chuckled, thinking about how different she was back when she and Cooper had first met. "It's thanks to Cooper that I'm the woman I am now. You raised a fine son."

Martha smiled. "And you're the one who has brought happiness into your life, so I should be thanking you too. Thank you for loving my son" she responded, smiling at both Charlotte and Augusta "I'm going to leave you two alone and wait with the ladies downstairs."

As the door shut, Augusta gazed at her daughter, smiling. She brought her hand to the younger woman's face, cupping her cheek. "You were always the apple of your Daddy's eye, God rest his soul."

Charlotte smiled. It had been a long while since she heard her mother talk to her in a loving way. "I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't thinking about him today. I miss him."

"I know you do. I miss him every single day. If he were still alive, I know he'd be beamin' from ear to ear with joy."

"Duke's here though and he's gonna walk me down the aisle."

Augusta reached up to fix a stray wisp of her daughter's blonde hair. "You and your brother are all I've got left," she paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Listen, I know I was never the best momma to you and your brothers. Lord, I wasn't always the best wife to your daddy either but not much I can do 'bout that now. But I'm here today, because I just want to see my baby girl happy. And Cooper, he makes you happy, right?"

A smile curled on Charlotte's lips as she nodded. "Yes Momma, he makes me happy. He's not perfect and I ain't either, but Cooper's one of a kind and I love him. I don't know what I'd do without him."

"Well good, because that's all I need to know," Augusta cupped her daughter's cheek. "Alright, now let's go. We don't want to keep that man of yours waitin."

* * *

Music filled the air while everyone milled around, waiting for the cue to take their seats. The music would gradually die down, guests sitting in their chairs. A moment later, Cooper walked out, followed by Sam as they stood at the end of the aisle next to the justice of the peace.

Pachelbel's Canon in D began playing, as Addison came walking down towards them with Zane in her arms. She smiled at Cooper and Sam, moving to her spot in the front row. Naomi came next, slowly coming down the aisle in a peach colored dress and holding a small bouquet of lilies. Like Addison, she smiled at both men and stepped towards the left and turned to face the back of the garden.

The music smoothly transitioned into the bridal chorus as everyone stood up and turned around, anxiously waiting for the bride to make her way down the aisle.

Duke stood with his sister in the back, still out of sight from the guests. He smiled, taking her arm and wrapping it around his. "Look at you," he said in amazement.

Charlotte tilted her head slightly, sighing happily. "Before you walk me down that aisle, I just wanted to take this moment to tell you thank you," she paused for a beat. "I know this year hasn't been easy for us, but you've been there for me and supported me. And I want you to know I will always remember this moment. You may not be Big Daddy, but I'm sure he's lookin' down at us and smiling, knowin' you're doing this."

Duke brought his hand to Charlotte's face, cupping her cheek. "I'm sure he is. And if I haven't said this yet, you're an angel. I'd do anything for you." He secured Charlotte's arm, placing his other hand on top of hers. "You ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Charlotte took one more deep breath.

"Then let's get you married, Lottie," Duke guided his sister onto the grass and carefully stepped onto the runner. Together they began walking down the aisle, taking slow steps along the way.

Cooper gasped when he caught sight of Charlotte. Letting his emotions get the best of him, tears pooled in his eyes as he saw her coming towards him. He quickly pulled his handkerchief out and wiped his eyes, laughing to himself for getting emotional.

"Are you crying?" Sam asked, leaning over a little as he tried to keep his solemn composure. "I didn't know you were a crying kind of man."

"I didn't know either," Cooper replied with a slight laugh, shoving the handkerchief back into his pocket. He inhaled quickly, recomposing himself as he saw Charlotte coming closer.

Charlotte looked around at the familiar faces, the small group of colleagues and friends that gathered for the special occasion. As she approached Cooper, the two of them met gazes and smiled at each other. She saw him mouth the word, "Wow," causing her smile to spread as she reached him.

Duke graciously handed Charlotte to Cooper, placing her hand into the other man's. Before stepping back, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his sister's cheek. "Love you, sis," he murmured into her ear and took a step back into the front row next to Addison.

Cooper took hold of Charlotte's hand, the two of them standing before the justice of the peace. "You give new meaning to the word breathless," he mumbled softly.

"Welcome everyone to the wedding of Charlotte King and Cooper Freedman. Who gives this woman to this man?"

"I do," Duke said, smiling at his sister.

"Will you be saying your own vows?"

"Yes," Charlotte and Cooper answered simultaneously. They watched the justice of the peace step back and looked at one another.

Charlotte took hold of Cooper's hands and squeezed them. "People say everyone needs a reason in their life and I thank God you've come to be mine," she began, staring lovingly into Cooper's eyes. My life didn't start until you Cooper. Before I met you, I always felt like something was missing. I was afraid all of the time, even when times were good. And there were times when I felt I never had what it took to be in a relationship because I was scared," she tried to fight back emotion, her voice cracking a little. "But the thing is, you made me realize that I didn't have to be afraid. You made me feel safe and you have loved me despite who I am, even when I didn't make it easy. You made me fall in love you. Cooper, you are sweet. You are kind and you are so loving…and you are so generous. You are the most incredible man I've ever known. The way you've taken Zane into your life as if he were your son from the beginning, it does my heart so much good. I can honestly say I thank God for you Cooper and I promise, before our family and friends, I will love you every day for the rest of our lives."

Cooper took a deep breath, once again letting his emotions get the best of him as he tilted his head slightly and took a moment to rub his eyes. "Sorry," he laughed a little, before taking a deep breath. "Charlotte, there is so much I want to say… You and I, we are definitely a unique couple. I don't think there's anyone here that could argue the point because in my heart, I know this right. For the longest time I felt like I was stuck but then you came into my life and I fell in love with you. This love that we have, I promise to honor, love and protect it with everything I am and ever will be. I love you so much Charlotte and I love Zane. And no matter what, I will always be there for you and for our family. I love you so much and I trust you. You are my purpose and my future. I am so proud to be calling you my wife today and I promise with all of my heart that I will love, honor and cherish you and our boy for as long as you let me."

The justice of the peace stepped forward. "Cooper, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Cooper smiled, squeezing Charlotte's hand.

Looking toward the blonde, "And Charlotte, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband."

"I do," Charlotte said softly.

"Who has the rings?"

Sam stepped forward, reaching into his jacket. "I have them," he said, handing one of them to Charlotte.

Charlotte took the ring and slipped into onto Cooper's finger, meeting his gaze. "Cooper, take this ring as a symbol of my love, trust and faith in you, forever and ever."

Cooper took the ring from Sam and slowly slipped it onto Charlotte's ring finger, looking into her eyes as he spoke. "Charlotte, take this ring as a symbol of my love, trust and faith in you, forever and ever." He placed his hand on top of hers and smiled.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you," pausing to look at Cooper and Charlotte, "husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."

"Oh, you bet I will," Cooper stepped closer, cupping Charlotte's face into his hands, their lips meeting for a deep and sensual kiss. Their foreheads remained pressed together as their lips parted. "Finally!"

Charlotte smiled as she turned with Cooper towards the guests who were clapping around them, smiles on each of their faces. Together, they walked up the aisle arm in arm. Reaching the other end, Cooper took his bride into her arms and lifted her off the ground, kissing her once more as the sun began to set behind them.

* * *

The reception stretched into the late evening with the guests enjoying good food and music. Although they were beginning to feel the effects of the day, Charlotte and Cooper continued to enjoy themselves, taking photos and dancing into the night with their friends.

Duke spotted his sister across the dance floor, a rare moment in the evening when she didn't' have Cooper by her side. He pulled up a chair and sat down, watching his wife with Zane. "Tell Cooper the good news yet?"

"Soon," Charlotte replied.

"So, how'd you avoid the champagne? That had to be some sort of giveaway since you couldn't drink it," he inquired, noticing Cooper was nowhere to be found. He surmised his new brother-in-law had stepped away for a moment to use the bathroom.

Charlotte turned to her brother and replied, "I didn't take a sip. I just made it look like I did. Cooper's so happy he barely noticed."

"What you said today, to Cooper, those were some sweet words," Duke said, taking a sip of his drink. "Heck, you made Coop cry."

"I made myself cry," Charlotte commented, the memory from hours ago still fresh in her mind. "And I promised myself I wouldn't."

"Well, it could just be the hormones."

Charlotte rolled her eyes at her brother and saw Cooper coming towards her. She watched him hold out his hand, knowing it was time to take another whirl around the dance floor.

"Shall we wife-of-mine?" Cooper slowly pulled the blonde up from her chair and ushered into another dance.

It was almost midnight when the reception wrapped up, most of the guests having gone home. Duke and his wife remained with Sam and Addison, waiting for Zane as Charlotte and Cooper said their final good night's to the child.

"Here's his stuff," Cooper said, handing the bag to Duke. "Everything he needs for the night is in there."

Duke slipped the strap over his shoulder and nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry, he's in good hands tonight. You and Lottie go have yourselves a wedding night to remember," he winked at his sister. "And don't be in such a hurry to pick the boy up. You two deserve plenty of private time together, so enjoy it."

"We will," Charlotte responded. She went to kiss Zane on the head, the little boy asleep in Daisy's arms. "Be good for your Uncle Duke and Aunt Daisy, Little Man."

"We'll see you both tomorrow," Daisy smiled, walking out of the reception hall with Duke.

"I guess we'll be going too," Sam said, his arm wrapped around Addison's back. "The limo driver knows where to take you both, so no need to worry about anything. Just tell the front desk to give you the key to the honeymoon suite."

Cooper shook Sam's hand and patted him on the back. "Thanks man…for everything."

"Good night and congrats again," Addison grinned at Charlotte, meeting her gaze and knowing that the joy wasn't over just yet for the newly wedded couple.

Cooper watched Sam and Addison disappear in the distance, turning his attention to his bride. "Well, I guess it's time for us to start the honeymoon," he said, taking hold of Charlotte's hand and walking down the lantern lit path. "If I haven't said this lately, you are so breathtakingly beautiful. I cannot wait until we are all alone in that hotel room."

Charlotte smiled to herself as she walked toward the limo with Cooper. She couldn't wait until they were completely alone either.

A short drive and one slow elevator trip later, Cooper stood in front of the suite and swiped the keycard, opening the door to reveal a room decorated with rose petals and candles. He slipped his arms under Charlotte's legs and picked her up off the floor. Stepping across the threshold, he walked inside, as they both marveled at the room.

"Wow," Charlotte said in awe. "Sam, Addison and Naomi sure went all out."

"That they did," Cooper carefully placed the blonde back down on the floor. He pulled her close and leaned in to kiss her. "Mmmm. We're finally alone," he murmured. "Oh the things I have wanted to do to you."

Charlotte felt Cooper's hands beginning to search for the zipper on her dress. Reaching for them, she stopped him, causing a look of confusion. "Coop, wait. There's something I want to tell you," she looked up at him, smiling as this was the moment she'd been waiting for all day, all week.

Cooper cupped the blonde's cheek with his hand. "What is it? Did you forget to tell me something that wasn't in your vows?"

"No, not exactly," she stepped back a little, taking hold both his hands. "You know how you left me a gift last night under my pillow?" watching him nod. "Well, I've got a gift for you too."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Charlotte brought Cooper's hands to her stomach, smiling as she watched the realization slowly dawn across his face.

"You're? Are you? Char?" he stammered, blinking his eyes. "Baby?"

Charlotte nodded, letting a tear fall down her cheek. "Yes Cooper, I'm pregnant. We're having a baby."

Cooper slowly got down on his knees and kissed her belly, resting his cheek against it. "Hi baby," he whispered, before looking up at Charlotte. "How far along?"

"Eight weeks."

Cooper sighed, slowly getting up and pulling Charlotte into another kiss. Foreheads remaining pressed together as their lips parted, he sighed deeply, still overjoyed at the news. "This is the best gift you have ever given me. A baby… we're having a baby."

Charlotte nodded, tears still falling down her cheeks as she smiled at him. "Yes we are."

~end chapter

* * *

_**Stay tuned for next Friday's installment: **__Zane turns two. Charlotte and Cooper's lives become more blessed. _


	16. Chapter 16

_**Author's Note**: Here we are folks, the home stretch. There's only one more chapter after this one. Enjoy~_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

_Five months later…_

Cooper followed Zane to the steps, watching the little boy climb up them one by one. "Alright little buddy, you're doing a good job so far," he said, going step by step with him. In his hands, he carried a tray of breakfast pastries and a cup of tea. With it being a special day, he and Zane had woken up early that morning to get a head start. "One more step. You can do it," he reached down with one hand and gently gave Zane a helpful push. "There, you made it!"

Zane crawled a little further before standing up and looking at the older man. "Go to Momma?" he mumbled with his pacifier still in his mouth.

"Yeah, we're gonna go wake her up," he pointed to the bedroom door and pushed it open. He let Zane enter first, following right behind him.

Charlotte heard the noise in the room, eyes fluttering open as she slowly sat up. "Wow, what do we have here?" she asked, seeing Zane approach the bed. Noticing the tray in Cooper's hand, she smiled. "Is that for me?"

"Momma!"

"Since today is going to be a busy one, I wanted to surprise you with this before we start setting up," Cooper said, placing the tray in front of his wife. He picked Zane up and placed him on the bed, climbing in next to them. "Me and the little guy took a trip to the bakery this morning. He picked them out himself."

"Oh you did, huh?" Charlotte pulled the little boy into her arms, blowing raspberries on his cheek and causing him to giggle. "I do believe it's someone's birthday today," she sing-songed, gently pinching his nose. "Happy Birthday Little Man."

Cooper smoothed down Zane's hair with his hand. "And wait til' you see the gift Daddy got for you," he grinned, thinking about the tricycle that was hidden in the garage.

"Dada," Zane chortled, crawling toward Cooper. "Dada cookie?" pointing toward the pastries on the tray. "Dada…"

Charlotte broke off a tiny piece of breakfast pastry and fed it to Zane. She watched the little boy chew and swallow. "Yummy, huh?"

"More Momma?"

The blonde laughed, feeding him another piece and taking a bite herself. "Mmm, these are good," she commented, picking up the cup of tea and taking a sip. "The tea though…still working on likin' that," she added, still wishing it was coffee instead. She winced a little, shifting in bed slightly. "Heh, baby doesn't like it much either."

Cooper wrapped one arm around Zane and reached over, placing a hand on his wife's pregnant belly. "And how's our baby doing this morning?" he asked, feeling a kick. "Ooh, hey kiddo."

"Kickin' up a storm like it's the World Cup Final," Charlotte said, trying to make herself comfortable in bed. "Either that or playin' my bladder like it's a piano."

"Go easy on your Momma in there," Cooper spoke to his wife's belly.

"Momma…" Zane babbled, patting the blonde on the arm. "Baby?"

Charlotte leaned over a little, pressing a kiss to the boy's cheek. "Yeah, Momma's got a baby in her belly," she lifted the tray and handed it to Cooper. Pushing the blanket off, she moved from the bed. "And now Momma's gotta pee."

"Need some help?" Cooper asked, watching his wife waddle her way to the bathroom.

"No, I'm fine," she called out. "What you can do is start fixin' the living room and then pick up the cake. Addison and Naomi are comin' after lunch to help with gettin' things ready," she said coming out of the bathroom and sitting at the foot of the bed. She raked a hand through her hair, helping Zane climb down. "While you're out, may as well pick up the balloons too."

Cooper quickly moved off the bed to catch Zane from escaping the bedroom. He grabbed the little boy in his arms, eliciting a fit of giggles from him. "Gotcha, buddy," he laughed, perching him over his shoulder. "Will you be fine if I leave him with you while I pick everything up?"

"I'll have Addison and Naomi here, so why not," she replied, looking at their little boy with a smile. "You love your Aunt Addie, dontcha bug?"

Zane nodded, recognizing the name. "Addie," he babbled. "Down Dada! Down!"

Cooper set the little boy on the floor, keeping hold of his hand. "Alright, I'll let you get changed. We'll be downstairs, playing with his new toys."

Charlotte shook her head. "Just couldn't wait, huh?"

"Nope," he picked Zane up into his arms, tickling his belly and making him chortle happily. "Let's go bud, Momma needs to start getting ready for your party…and we both know how long that takes."

"Funny Cooper," Charlotte snarked, watching her husband and little boy leave the bedroom.

* * *

"Dada! Dada!" Zane exclaimed, running to Cooper and latching onto his leg.

Cooper made his way to the door, dragging Zane along with him as he opened it. "Well, look who finally made it," he said, moving aside so Pete, Violet and Lucas could enter. "About time you guys got here."

"Sorry," Pete apologized, ushering his son inside. "Someone didn't want to leave the toy store without something for himself," motioning towards the shy toddler next to him. He tussled Lucas' hair and bent down. "Go on and play. I'm sure you want to show Zane your new toy."

Zane peered around Cooper's leg at the other little boy, reluctant to let go.

Cooper looked down at Zane, lifting his leg off the floor slightly. "Come on bud, go and play with Lucas. I'm sure he wants to see your new truck daddy got you. He bent over, peeling the toddler's arms off his leg and helping him stand. He gave him a gentle pat on the rear, "Go. Daddy will be there in a minute."

Cooper and Pete watched the two boys run into the living room where everyone else was milling around. Violet was already there, catching up with Amelia and Dr. Eric Rodriguez, her beau of two-months. Sheldon was standing with them, along with Sam, Naomi and Addison. Suffice to say, the gang was all there.

"Where's Charlotte?" Pete asked, as he and Cooper walked toward the living room.

"In the kitchen, getting the cake ready," Cooper responded, allowing Pete to pass him. "Go and join everyone. I'm gonna give Charlotte a hand," he told the other man and stepped into the kitchen. Approaching the blonde from behind, he wrapped his arms around her, his hands instinctively placing themselves on her pregnant belly. Pushing some blonde hair aside with his chin, he pressed a kiss to her nape. "Are you okay in here?"

Charlotte relaxed in Cooper's embrace, exhaling a deep breath. "Yeah, the cake's pretty much ready," she said with a satisfied look on her face, fixing the number "2" candle that was propped in the middle. "Remind me again why we have a Wiggles cake?"

"Because Zane loves the show," Cooper laughed, chin resting on the blonde's shoulder. "Ooh, I felt that kick. Seems baby is moving around a bit today."

"Oh yeah," Charlotte nodded in agreement. "Little bug can't stay still," placing a hand on top of Cooper's and sighing happily. "You ready for the sleepless nights, Daddy? Two months isn't a long time, you know. Baby Freedman will be here before you and I know it."

"And I can't wait," he pulled away and turned around, opening the refrigerator door. He took out a small box and placed it on the countertop in front of Charlotte. Lifting off its lid, he revealed a small cake inside. "Before we bring Zane's cake out, I wanted to give you this."

Charlotte looked at her husband, brow furrowed. "Why does it have a 1 on it, Coop? Zane's 2 today, silly."

"I know," Cooper acknowledged, carefully lifting the cake out of the box. "This is for us to celebrate one year with Zane. It's like an anniversary of sorts, I'm thinking. Thought it was worth celebrating."

The blonde smiled, closing the gap between them and pressing a kiss to his lips. "You never cease to amaze me. Only you would think of something like this."

Cooper wrapped his arms around Charlotte, gazing at her adoringly. "It's been quite a year, but we made it Char," he said, love apparent in his eyes. "I always knew we would and I can't wait until our baby gets here, because it'll make our family complete. Not that we aren't already, but it's what I've always dreamed of."

After many slices of cake later, everyone had gone home, leaving Cooper and Charlotte alone once again with an exhausted Zane sleeping on the couch. Cooper came back into the house, having tossed the last of the garbage from the party and found Charlotte sitting next to sleeping boy with her feet up on the table.

Cooper carefully took the two-year old into his arms and held out a hand to Charlotte, helping her up off the couch. Together they climbed up the stairs to Zane's room as Cooper carefully placed him down in his new toddler bed. With the baby on the way, the crib was no longer his.

"He's had quite a day," Charlotte said, pulling the blanket to his chest.

"With lots of new toys and cake," Cooper added, thinking about the birthday loot piled in the living room downstairs. "You know, we're going to have to turn the guest room into his toy room soon."

"You can add that to your list of things to-do," she laughed softly, swiping back the boy's blonde hair. "Good night Little Man, sleep well."

Cooper stood with Charlotte, snaking an arm around her waist. Pulling her close, he let her head rest against his shoulder. Together, they gaze at the sleeping boy, reveling in the silence around them. Sighing deeply, he held her close. "If I haven't said yet today, I love you Char. I love you and this life we have together."

* * *

_Two months later…_

"Cooper," Charlotte tugged on her husband's arm. "Cooper. Cooper, you need to wake up."

"Wha? Huh?"

"Cooper, wake up," Charlotte struggled to sit up in bed. It was only then when Cooper was finally beginning to wake. "I think…"

"You think what?" Cooper yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"I think my water just broke."

Cooper was suddenly alert. "What?" he nearly fell out of bed, reaching to turn on the lamp on the nightstand. Rubbing his face, he looked at Charlotte. "What do you mean your water just broke? You're not due for another week."

"Well, I guess this baby doesn't want to wait anymore," Charlotte said, trying to keep calm and collected. Yet she couldn't help but feel nervous and excited at the same time. "Some timing, huh? What are we gonna do about Zane? We can't just leave him here in the middle of the night."

"I'm calling Sam and Addison. They'll meet us at the hospital," Cooper got out of bed, trying not to trip over himself in the process. He searched the room, looking for his cell phone. As he stumbled around the room, his mind kept drawing a blank on what to do next.

Charlotte watched Cooper scramble around the bedroom. It amused her somewhat, seeing him try to contain his excitement. She called out to him, "Coop?"

"Yea?" Cooper stopped and looked at Charlotte who was still sitting in bed.

"You need to stay calm. We talked about this already, what we need to do, who to call."

"Yes…calm. I am calm," Cooper reassured. He reached for his jeans and pulled them on, along with a t-shirt. His eyes landed on Charlotte, taking note of the look on her face. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, sitting back down on the bed.

"Because I've never seen you like this before. It's cute," Charlotte winced. "Okay… obviously that was a contraction right here. This baby ain't gonna wait anymore. Grab my bag from the closet and then grab Zane."

Cooper shot up from the bed and rushed over to his wife's side. He guided her out of bed, grabbed the bag and ushered her out of the room. As they reached the bottom of the steps, they looked at one another.

"Zane."

Leaving Charlotte in the living room, Cooper quickly climbed up the steps and walked into Zane's room. Carefully, he lifted the toddler out of bed. Zane stirred for a few seconds before resting his head on Cooper's shoulder. "Sorry, buddy. But Momma's gonna have the baby now so we're going to the hospital," he said softly, carrying him downstairs to where Charlotte was waiting.

"Called Sam and Addison. They're going to meet us at the hospital," Charlotte waddled toward the front door.

"Okay, I've got the boy. Let's go," Cooper said, following right behind her as they exited the house.

They made it to St. Ambrose in record time, courtesy of Cooper's speedy driving and the fact that there was no one on the road in the middle of the night. Cooper spotted Sam waiting by the ER entrance, pulling up and getting out of the car so he could help Charlotte into the wheelchair that was waiting.

"Zane's in the back, think you could keep an eye on him?" Cooper asked.

"Of course," he said, reaching into the back seat and gently taking the sleeping boy into his arms. "I got him. Go with Charlotte. Addison's waiting inside."

"Thanks!" Cooper guided Charlotte into the ER where they were met by Addison.

"Charlotte, how are we doing so far?" Addison smiled, looking unusually chipper for the middle of the night.

"How do you think I'm doin'? I'm about to have a baby," Charlotte deadpanned. She took a deep breath and relaxed. "I'm fine, but you might want to give this one here a sedative."

"Very funny," Cooper chuckled. "I'm okay now."

"You sure about that, Speedy Gonzales? Speedin' down the roads when there was barely anyone on 'em with Zane sleepin' in the back seat."

Addison laughed at the exchange. "Come on, let's get you over to maternity. We've been waiting for you."

Charlotte looked up at Cooper as they went down the hall. "Go check on Zane. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Cooper asked, reluctant to leave the blonde's side.

"Yes, I'm sure."

Cooper leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be right back."

"Alright, let's go have this baby," Addison wheeled Charlotte into her room.

Fifteen minutes later, Charlotte was changed into a hospital gown and was lying back on the bed. In complete doctor mode, Addison asked her questions about the pain and how long she'd been in labor.

"What time is it? Charlotte remained calm as the minutes passed by, but soon enough it became a little bit of a challenge. The contractions were now closer together. She clenched her teeth for a moment before answering Addison's questions.

"It's almost 4am," Addison replied.

"Then I guess for about 45 minutes," Charlotte answered.

"Okay," Addison nodded, taking a seat on the stool. "You've still got a bit of time so let me just check to see how much you're dilated."

At that moment, Cooper came into the room. Hair still disheveled, he was smiling as he approached Charlotte. "Sam's with Zane in one of the lounges. He's sound asleep."

"Good," Charlotte tried to smile.

Addison went about her doctor-ly duties while Cooper held Charlotte's hand, the two of them exchanging happy glances. Cooper swiped away a lock of blonde hair from his wife's forehead and kissed it. Pushing her chair back, Addison removed her surgical gloves and tossed them into the trash can. "Okay Charlotte, it looks like your baby is ready to come into this world."

"Gee, I could have told you that with all this pain I'm in."

Ignoring the blonde's sarcasm, the auburn haired doctor smirked. "Now, as you already know, the number we want is 10. You're about halfway there and considering the short time you've been in labor, it looks like your baby really wants to meet the both of you," Addison said almost too contentedly. In a way, she too was excited for this baby to be born, considering the friendship that had developed between her and Charlotte over the past few months. "Just sit tight for a bit and I'll be back to check on you."

"Okay," Charlotte nodded.

As Addison was about to leave the room, she turned around. "Oh, before I go, if you want to dull the pain, there is the epidural. I mean, if you want one."

Charlotte's face immediately went pale at the thought of a needle. Not even hesitating to answer, she vigorously shook her head and turned down the option. The color would return to her face seconds later as soon as she voiced her decision. She looked up at Cooper who was laughing and nudged him in the midsection.

"Oof," he gasped, rubbing his stomach. "To this day, I still find it funny how afraid you are of needles. You're a doctor."

"But I don't have to deal with needles every day," Charlotte retorted. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. "Plus, you know I can't have any pain medication."

Cooper pulled a chair to his wife's bedside and reached for her hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I am. Just thinkin' that's all."

"About what?"

Charlotte turned her head, meeting Cooper's gaze. "About us, being parents."

Cooper smiled. "Are you worried? We're already great parents."

"I know. It's just, with Zane it's different," Charlotte explained, not sure why she was feeling worried at a time like this or what even brought the feeling on. "Zane came into our lives already a year old and this baby that's about to be born…it's a…well, a baby. A newborn. What if-"

"Char," Cooper squeezed his wife's hand reassuringly. "There is nothing to worry about. You're ready. I'm ready. _We're_ ready."

Charlotte bit down on her lower lip for a second before finally smiling at Cooper. "You're right. I don't know why I'm even thinkin' about this."

"Because you're a mom and it's only natural to worry."

It would be a couple of hours until Charlotte had progressed far enough in her labor to start pushing. By the time she had reach 10 centimeters, the sun had risen and she was completely exhausted from the pain.

""I'm tired," Charlotte said in frustration. "This is taking a lot out of me."

"You can do this," Cooper wiped away some hair from her forehead.

"Okay Charlotte, your baby is almost here. But he or she needs your help, so let's push one more time," Addison was smiling. She could already see the baby's head. "Ready?"

Cooper kissed Charlotte's forehead and smiled, giving her the extra support needed at the moment. He couldn't help but laugh slightly, seeing his wife clenching her teeth in pain. While he would certainly do anything to take her pain away, he couldn't help but feel excited for this moment.

It was only then when Cooper realized how much his hand was aching. Every time a shot of pain passed through Charlotte, he felt the grip tighten.

"You're doing great Char," he reassured her. "Just don't break my hand, okay?"

"I swear Cooper, this is the _first, last and only_ baby we are ever going to have," Charlotte snapped, quickly glancing up and glaring at him. "This pain… I never want to experience something like this ever again. Screw my high pain threshold, this is torture. When this is done, you're going to march on over and get yourself scheduled for a vasectomy."

Cooper leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, knowing she didn't mean a word. It was the frustration and pain talking. "Sure, I love you too."

"Alright, on the count of three," Addison looked up to see if Charlotte was ready. "One, two, three…"

Charlotte clenched her teeth together and pushed with all of her might. She soon felt a huge amount of pressure dissipating from the lower half of her body and fell back on the bed in exhaustion. After an unsuccessful attempt in trying to look down to see her baby, she instead looked up, meeting Cooper's happy, tearful eyes.

"Well?" she asked anxiously, wanting to know what was going on. Suddenly, she heard her baby's cries. "Cooper?"

"Ten fingers and ten toes," Addison said out loud. "Congratulations, it's a girl!"

Charlotte smiled, her heart swelling with love and joy as she listened to her little girl take her first breath and let out a cry. Cooper couldn't stop smiling; the tears were still streaming down his face. Looking down at Charlotte, he spoke into her ear, "She looks just like you."

Addison handed a pair of scissors to Cooper, "Would you like to do the honors?"

Cooper gladly reached over and clipped the baby girl's umbilical cord. Soon, Charlotte would feel the miracle of life in her own arms. A nurse walked over to Addison handed her a pink blanket and she carefully wrapped the newborn baby girl with it, slowly making her way over to Charlotte.

"Here you go," Addison smiled as she carefully transferred the newborn into the blonde's arms.

Charlotte marveled at the sight of her daughter as she was being handed to her. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she took in each and every inch of her baby girl. She had a full head of sandy blonde hair and what looked like to be Cooper's nose.

"Hi baby, I'm your Momma," the blonde spoke softly, still overcome with emotion. "Welcome to the world."

The baby girl looked up at Charlotte, almost like she was looking into her eyes with her own. Her cries soon calmed, realizing that she was safe in her mother's arms.

"Yes, that's right. Don't you cry," she whispered. "Momma's here and look," turning to Cooper, who was looking on with joy, "there's your daddy."

Cooper stood close to Charlotte, his eyes still filled with moisture as he stared at his daughter. "My princess" he said, completely awestruck. He'd always dreamed of this moment and now it finally happened. "You're so beautiful, both of you."

"Looks like Zane's got a little sister to protect," Charlotte said, unable to take her eyes off of her baby.

"That he does," Cooper nodded. "We've got ourselves a cute little family, don't we?"

"Yes we do."

Addison came back into the room and smiled, "Such a sweet family we've got here. Congratulations again."

"Thanks," Cooper replied.

"So, now that she's here, what's her name?" Addison asked.

Charlotte and Cooper looked at each other for a moment and smiled. They gazed down at their baby girl for a few seconds before finally meeting the auburn haired doctor's curious gaze.

"Addison Montgomery, meet Josslynn Marjorie Freedman," Charlotte said, smiling from ear to ear.

* * *

A light breeze blew through the window causing the curtains to sway as moonlight shone through. Cooper was lying in bed, sound asleep with Zane at his side. The little boy had come to the bedroom in the middle of the night, looking to sleep with him and Charlotte because of a bad dream. Josslyn's soft cries lulled Cooper awake as he turned over to reach for the baby monitor.

Sitting up slowly, he noticed the other side of the bed was empty, surmising Charlotte had gone to the nursery. Two seconds later, his assumption was correct as he heard his wife's soothing voice through the baby monitor.

"Shhh, Momma's here," spoke Charlotte's loving voice.

Slowly, he climbed out of bed, draped Zane with the comforter and tiptoed out of the bedroom. He walked down the hall to the nursery where he found Charlotte in the rocking chair, cradling their daughter in her arms.

Cooper quietly approached his wife and knelt down, his gaze immediately falling on the sleeping infant. "Hey, how long have you been awake?"

"Not long," Charlotte replied, a small yawn followed. "Just finished nursing her and now waitin' for the angel to be soundly back in baby dreamland."

Neither would speak for several moments as both of them were completely captivated by the sleeping baby in the blonde's arms. Despite the sleep deprived nights they were both experiencing since bringing Josslyn home a few days ago, Cooper and Charlotte were taking it all in stride. In fact, they didn't seem to mind at all, both of them finding joy in every moment they got to spend with their baby girl.

Charlotte began to rock back and forth, closing her eyes as she began to softly hum. It wasn't long before Cooper began singing the words to the lullaby Charlotte had been humming. By the time he finished the first verse, Josslyn lay still in her mother's arms, stirring only slightly when she was placed her in the crib.

Cooper pulled Charlotte into his arms, both standing by the crib as they watched Josslyn sleep. "She's so beautiful," he whispered into the blonde's ear, a phrase he'd been saying over and over since she came into the world. "Thank you."

Charlotte turned her head slightly to look up at him. "For what?"

"For giving me the two greatest gifts in my life, Zane and Josslynn," he smiled, pushing back a lock of blonde hair from her face and pressing a kiss to her lips. "You are amazing woman, you know that?"

Charotte couldn't help but smile back at him. "Thank you for loving me. Because without you, we wouldn't have this life," turning to look at their baby girl. "Our life."

Cooper rested his chin on Charlotte's shoulder, his arms still wrapped around her as he sighed happily. "Our life as we know it."

~end chapter

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_**Next Friday: **Epilogue_


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** And here we are folks, last night was the season finale and today is the finale to the story. Enjoy~

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**Epilogue**

Cooper came downstairs and saw Charlotte stretched out on the couch. There was a pile of folders spread out on the coffee table. This was of the norm lately, Charlotte bringing home work on some nights instead of staying late at the hospital or at the practice. In the past two years, she made an effort to be around her children as much as she could even if it meant bringing work home and staying up late to get it done. No matter what, family always came first for her and Cooper. Tonight though, she wasn't holding a folder in her hand. It was a leather bound book and she was writing in it.

Some nights, Cooper would find his wife asleep on the couch, a folder spread out on her lap, having dozed off after a long day, followed by a non-stop evening with their children. Other nights, she'd stay up late doing work or like tonight, writing in what Cooper soon learned was a journal. It was something she started doing not long after Josslynn was born two years ago.

"It took two bedtime stories, but I finally got Zane to fall asleep," he said, sitting on the other end of the couch and heaving an exhausted sigh. "Josslynn's out like a light, too. I'm just about ready to head to bed, you going to be up for much longer? Will you be okay down here?"

Charlotte looked across the couch at Cooper. "Yeah, I think it's going to be a late night for me. You're welcome to stay but from the look on your face, I'm thinkin' you want to get on up to bed. I'll be fine," she shifted positions on the couch and leaned toward Cooper, kissing him deeply. "I'll head up in a bit. I just want to finish what I'm doing. I promise not to be up too late."

"Okay. I'll see you in bed," kissing her back before moving down to her midsection, pressing a kiss to it, "Good night, baby."

"Good night Coop. I love you."

"I love you too, Char," Cooper stood, making his way back up the steps and to their bedroom.

Charlotte stretched her arms above her head, watching her husband disappear upstairs. Picking her pen up, she resumed what she was doing, putting down her thoughts as they came to mind.

* * *

The rain continued to fall outside, droplets clattering against the windows. Water streamed down the glass, accompanied by the occasional crash of thunder and flash of lightning.

Charlotte looked at the clock and saw it was past midnight. Not realizing how she lost track of time, she decided to put off looking at the files until morning. It made no sense to start now considering how late it was. Still holding the pen in her hand, she reread the entry she'd written on the page. Her quiet reverie was pleasantly interrupted when she heard a timid voice at the bottom of the steps.

"Momma?" Zane stood by the banister, holding his favorite yellow duck in his arms. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, looking sleepily at the only woman he knew as his mother.

Charlotte saw Zane standing there, the boy she came to embrace as her son. "Hi Little Man," she spread her arms out, giving the okay for him to approach. "What's wrong, bug? Can't sleep? You know you're s'posed to be in your bed."

Zane quickly moved into Charlotte's arms, where he was picked up and settled on her lap. Snuggling close to her body, he shook his head. "I can't sleep Momma. The rain and funder woke me up. It's scawy."

"Oh, well that's no good," Charlotte held the four-year old boy close, smoothing down his floppy blonde hair with her hands. She looked at his sleepy face, his eyes drooping with tiredness as he yawned. "The thunder didn't wake your sister, huh?"

"Nuh uh. Just me. Can I stay here with you?"

Charlotte could tell just by looking at Zane, he was ready to fall back asleep at any moment. "Tell you what, Little Man. How about I let you sit with me and then I'll bring you back up to bed in a little while, okay?"

Nodding his head, he yawned again. "Okay, Momma."

The two of them sat quietly for the next few minutes, Charlotte humming softly as she ran her hand up and down Zane's back, hoping it would lull him back to sleep.

"Momma?"

"Yeah?"

"I miss Unca Duke. When are we going to see him again?" he asked, curling a lock of blonde hair with his finger.

Charlotte's heart warmed at the mention of her brother, who had just left a few days ago after bringing his family out to California for another visit. Zane enjoyed it when he came, knowing the older man would always spoil him with gifts. "I miss him too, sweetie. We'll see your Uncle Duke again soon. Maybe in a few months, okay?"

"Okay," Zane replied tiredly. He spotted the leather bound journal sitting open on the table and pointed to it. "Momma, what's that?"

Charlotte smiled, her eyes glazing at the book filled with her handwriting. The importance of it resonated in the back of her mind, knowing someday it was going to hold a lot of meaning in their lives. "It's just a story Momma's been writing."

"A story? You mean like my books? Does it have rainbows?" the little boy asked curiously.

"In some ways, yes," she didn't hesitate answering. "It's got all sorts of rainbows," she silently contemplated the double meaning of her statement.

Someday he would understand what she meant.

"Momma, can you read me a story from it?" Zane yawned one last time before closing his eyes. "Like how Daddy reads me stories."

"Not right now, sweetie. But I promise someday you'll get to read all the stories that are in it," she kissed the top of Zane's head, completely enamored by the boy's innocence. Her heart filled with warmth once more, touched over and over by how much she loved him and how grateful she was to have him in her life. Not long after Zane had turned two, she and Cooper adopted the boy, officially making him a Freedman.

And in a few months, there was going to be another addition to their ever growing family as Charlotte and Cooper were expecting a son. With a name already picked out, they couldn't wait for Dylan Walter Freedman to arrive.

Once again, Cooper was over the moon when he found out the news, already the best daddy in the world to Zane and Josslynn. Smiling, Charlotte leaned down and pressed another kiss to Zane's head, inhaling the sweet scent of shampoo in his hair. It was moments like this one she cherished, being able to cuddle her child in her arms, feeling the love and adoration resonate between them.

"I love you, Momma," Zane sleepily whispered.

"I love you too, Little Man. I love you, too."

_~le end_

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_Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this story. All of your reviews are greatly appreciated. This was my first outing with a Charlotte and Cooper story and I can honestly say I enjoyed writing this very much. _


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